


Double Trouble

by mandagrammy



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: M/M, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-13 06:39:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 49,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1216324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandagrammy/pseuds/mandagrammy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 2017 and married couple, Brian and Justin, are looking forward to celebrating Mel and Lindsay's wedding anniversary in Canada and visiting the teenage Gus and JR. When tragedy strikes, Brian and Justin are faced with life altering changes when becoming the legal guardians of both teens. What will life be like for the couple as full time parents?  And what will life be like for Gus and JR, now being raised by Brian and Justin?</p>
<p>This is the first of a trilogy of stories.  The second one is complete and will be posted shortly.  The third one is in progress at this time and will be posted soon after.  I hope you will enjoy my story.  Thank you.  Grammy</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mel and Linds Plan an Anniversary Party

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Mel and Linds are preparing for their 16th Anniversary party in Canada. Unfortunately, due to many reasons, only Brian and Justin will be able to come to the celebration, much to the joy of teenagers Gus and JR.

Melanie Marcus-Peterson and Lindsay Marcus-Peterson were in quite a lather. They had been making plans all month long for a huge blowout affair for their upcoming 16th wedding Anniversary (12th if you counted the legal ceremony they had when they first moved to Canada) and most of their efforts were finally coming together but not without a lot of mishaps. Both Mel and Linds sometimes thought that they were cursed when they remembered all the trouble they had in getting married in the first place.

This time around the guests were going to be the biggest problem. They had made many new friends in their new home when they moved from Pittsburgh but they had never lost touch with their old friends. The truth was that the Pitts gang were more like family than any of their blood relatives and of course they were truly family since the children, Gus and JR, were their blood too. The visits between the two countries had been frequent and long lasting at first, but after 5 or 6 years the visits had slowed down to primarily the holidays.

Brian and Justin had finally reunited after almost a year of separation while Justin made a name for himself in the art world, which he did admirably. They had even finally had that aborted wedding in 2012 when it became legal to marry in Pennsylvania. Of course Brian had muttered something about it being a mere formality and doing it just to please Justin to Lindsay the night before the ceremony. Strange how Brian had an even bigger smile on his face during the ‘I do's’ than Justin, who was known for his smiles! But he hadn't fooled Linds for a minute. She had known Brian for far too long and far too well. The man was deeply in love and making the commitment to Justin had nothing to do with formality.

Then there was JR’s side of the family. Poor Carl Horvath had had a coronary two years earlier and Debbie, who had finally become a Horvath when her son Michael was allowed to marry Ben, had taken his death very hard. The only other time that she had become so incapacitated was at the death of her beloved Brother, Vic. She and Carl had quite a few good years together but it wasn't nearly enough for Debbie. She had waited so long for the right man to come along and now she was alone again. She had moved in with Michael and Ben, living in their adopted Son Hunter's old room. She was only in her late 60's but a lot of the fire had left her with Carl's passing.

On top of everything else, Ben's health had been up and down for several years now. He had even taken a sabbatical from teaching last year in an attempt to restore his health. The truth was that Michael had been forced to do a lot of growing up in very quick order because of the needs of his Husband and Mother. The one light in their lives was that Hunter had gone on to College, graduated with honors, and gotten into Counseling. He was considered one of the best Therapists at the hospital he worked for. He seemed to have a great deal of empathy for the patients that he worked with. No surprise when looking back on his history.

Emmett and Ted had become more infrequent visitors than anyone. Emmett had worked his way up the social ladder of fame as one of the best party planners in the state and was booked solid for months in advance. He had enough employees to handle the grunt work but he was a hands-on kind of guy and was almost always tied up with business. He hadn’t found Mr. Right yet but he was having a blast trying out a lot of Mr. Wrongs in his search.

Ted and Husband, Blake, were the most settled of anyone. Ted had remained Brian's manager/accountant at Kinnetik and Blake was still a substance abuse counselor. They were known as the most boring and steady couple in their circle of friends, but there wasn’t a soul who didn't recognize that they could be depended upon for anything, anytime, anywhere. But even this couple had become so busy with their everyday lives that they didn't have time for travel, not that they had ever been that involved in Mel and Linds's life since the girl's big move.

Yep, it looked like their Anniversary party would consist mostly of newer friendships than old and that was a big disappointment to the girls. They were also fairly certain that the kids would be unhappy to find that few of their American family would be showing up. Well, at least Mel and Linds thought they would be unhappy. It was kind of hard to tell nowadays since both kids had reached their teens. Where had the years gone? The girls often had to stand back and reflect on how quickly the years had flown and how fast the kids were growing up. There were times now when neither Mel nor Linds could figure out what Gus and JR were thinking.

Gus was the easiest to read. He had none of the deep hidden feelings that his Father was so famous for. Gus seemed to be an open book. He had always been a happy child. Any worries the girls may have had about Gus's acceptance of his baby Sister were dispelled early on. He had even taken to Mothering the baby while she was still in diapers. Gus was one hell of a great Big Brother, no doubt about it, or at least he was when his Sister would let him.

JR, Jenny Rebecca to her Moms, was a different story. She had a lot of the sweetness and innocence of her Dad, Michael, but she also had a lot of the fire of both her Mom Mel and Grandmother Debbie. Even very young she could be as gentle and quiet as a lamb one minute and a little hellion the next. You never quite knew what mood she'd be in. It didn't make it any easier that she had a sharp tongue on her and a sharp wit to match. And things hadn't improved once she hit her teens this year. If anything, they worsened. Sometimes her Moms would ask themselves whether they were sure which of the two gay friends of theirs had fathered which child, jokingly of course.

Gus would probably be the most disturbed if the Pitts crew didn't show up en masse. He was very close to Brian and Justin whom he always referred to as 'My two Dads'. Actually he felt most comfortable with Justin, but he respected Brian a lot and really looked up to him. JR liked her own private 'two Dads' but always secretly wished that Brian and Justin belonged to her and not her Brother. They were certainly a lot more exciting to be around than Michael and Ben. But Debbie was her idol and she was sure glad she didn't have to share Gram with Gus. Debbie was just as affectionate with Gus as JR but JR still thought of herself as the favorite of her Gram. The Brother and Sister loved each other dearly but there was a rivalry, mostly provoked by JR that couldn't be denied.

It looked like Brian and Justin would be the only ones who could make it to the Anniversary party and that wasn't even a definite yes. The party was tomorrow and they still hadn't gotten word from the guys about their chances of making it. They would probably still have a good time at the party since most of their local friends and co-workers would be there but they knew the kids would be none too happy. The truth is that their lives centered around their two kids. Even Mel, who had never been that sure of her parenting skills when younger, had turned out to be a very loving Mother. And Linds was born to it. She took to Mothering from the first day. The two women never made a decision without thinking of their children first.

Sometimes, like most working parents, they got so involved in their careers that they didn't always notice the changes going on in their kid’s lives but it wasn't because they didn't care. It was simply hard to juggle everything at once. And besides, teens seemed to have a built in code of secrecy that parents were not supposed to be aware of. Gus and JR certainly had a secret or two, but time would probably solve that problem. Right now Mel and Linds just wanted to hear from Brian and Justin. If they came, a lot of the stress would be relieved as far as the girls were concerned.

Finally Mel heard the phone jangle just after lunch. She left the wide veranda porch that she had been using to set up some new flower pots and headed inside to grab the phone. Linds came in from the back yard at the same time, wiping her hands on the denim gardener's apron she wore. They reached the hallway phone simultaneously and Mel picked it up, pushed the on button and answered, "Hello."

The familiar deep voice of Brian Kinney, her one time nemesis, came over the line. "Mel, that you?"

Restraining herself from a smart-alecky comeback, Mel answered, "Yes...and where have you been. We've been waiting for hours...days to hear from you guys. We need to know if you're going to get here tomorrow or not. The kids want to know. So, what's the deal?"

Brian did his best to be patient, something he often had to do with Linds's overbearing dyke wife, but he couldn't help himself. "Look, I know the party will be a bust without yours truly but you can relax. Justin's finished up his last commission piece and I've set a few days aside just so we could grace you with our presence. Now say thank you, Mel!"

Mel really wasn't in the mood so she simply turned and handed over the phone to a nervously waiting Linds. "Mr. Humble as Ever would like a word with you." Secretly she was relieved but she'd be damned if she let that out for Brian Kinney to see, or hear.

"Bri?"

"Ah, Linds, my dear. I was just telling your less than better half that Justin and I will be arriving tomorrow morning. And if you tell me that this party is going to be another boring affair like the one you tried to throw your parents to impress them then I'm refunding our tickets as we speak." Brian said with a little laugh to take the sting out of his words.

Lindsay couldn't resist a quick hop up and down and then, "Oh Brian, you doll. The kids are going to be so relieved. I don't think they would have been very pleased if you two hadn't been able to come. I'll tell them when they get home from school."

The next ten minutes were spent getting the details of flight and times and chatting briefly about nothing. The minute Linds hung up she headed for the front veranda. Mel was back on her knees shoveling dirt into little clay pots.

"Well that's one less thing to worry about", she told Mel. "The flights awfully early. Should I go, or you, to pick them up?"

"Why don't we all four go? I'm sure the kids would like nothing better than getting to see the guys right away and you know Justin...he'd love it."

"Sounds like a good idea to me Mel. The kids should be home soon. We'll tell them then."

The next hour was spent cleaning up the gardening tools and planning dinner. When the teens came bursting through the kitchen door in their search of an afternoon snack, backpacks flapping loosely from drooping shoulders, the girls sat them down and gave them the good news. Gus, always the reserved one, smiled from ear to ear thinking about seeing his Dads again after nearly six months. JR jumped up and down clapping her hands in an eerie imitation of their friend Emmett and squealed loud enough to break her Mom's ear drums. She would never admit it out loud, but seeing Gus's Dads was a thrill for her. She had a little secret crush on Brian but she would have cut out her tongue before she'd admit the old man turned her on. After all, he had to be at least forty or fifty. But old sure did look good on him, JR often thought to herself.

That night the four members of the Marcus/Peterson family sat around the dinner table and discussed how much fun the Anniversary party was going to be and what they wanted to do with their special guests, Brian and Justin, after the party was over. They had at least three days to fill with as much excitement as they could think of and they didn't want to miss a trick. They went to bed early that night, setting their alarm for 5 a.m., and dreamt of the bright shining future they were all going to share.

To be continued...


	2. A Bright and Shining Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian and Justin fly into town to be with Mel, Linds, and the kids for their Anniversary party, and everyone looks forward to the big event.

The morning alarm jarred a sleeping Mel and Lindsay from their pleasant dreams. The girls had a big day ahead of them and they were convinced there wouldn't be enough hours in the day to get everything done before the big party tonight. Of course the first thing on the agenda was picking up Brian and Justin from the airport. They had thought about asking Brian to get a rental car at the airport so they wouldn't have to make the long trip to get the men, but it seemed such a waste. The fellas could use Mel's Jeep Cherokee while they were in town for the long weekend and the girls would stick with the more sedate and useful family van that Linds always used. This would also give Gus the chance to show off his new driver’s license to his dads, something that he had been eagerly waiting to do for what seemed forever to the young man, and he was more familiar with the Jeep than anything his dads would rent.

Getting Gus moving was simple, as usual. It was as if the boy had a built in alarm clock. He always rose from sleep bright eyed and bushy tailed with clear eyes and plenty of energy.

JR was another story entirely. It took Mel fifteen minutes of pleading, cajoling, and an occasional threat to finally get the young girl up and running. The saying...'like two peas in a pod'...didn't come close to describing this brother and sister. They were like night and day. But the one thing they had in common was their fierce love of family, and their Mothers were satisfied with that. At least life had never been dull in the Marcus/Peterson household thanks to the kids.

Once the little family had put away their breakfast of waffles, bacon, and orange juice, the group was off to the airport. It was hard to tell who was the most excited by their first errand of the day. Linds sat beside Mel chattering a mile a minute. She always got a little hyper whenever she knew she was going to be seeing Brian. Both Gus and JR fidgeted in their seats, anxious to get to the airport and see their two favorite men in the world. They hadn't seen them for almost six months and a lot had happened since then. JR had finally become a teenager like her older brother, and Gus had entered his final year of high school. They could hardly wait to bring the men up to date and find out what was going on with them too.

Their Jeep pulled up into the terminal parking lot just as Brian and Justin's plane was landing. By the time the two men, who were obviously a couple, had exited the plane and walked to the arrival gate, the foursome were standing and waiting with huge grins on their faces. Even Mel looked happy, which often was more than she would ever admit. The truth was that she adored Justin and even grudgingly respected Brian....even more as the years went by. Justin had brought the best out in the man and Mel liked the changes. Of course she would never be free of her inherent jealousy of Lindsay’s obvious devotion to Brian, but that was another story.

JR was the first to break ranks and run to the couple. She flung her slender arms around the middles of both men as best she could, nearly knocking them to the ground.

"Brian! Justin!" She squealed with girlish delight. "We thought you'd never get here! I was worried...I mean we were all worried you wouldn't make it!

Each word was produced with a little squeal accompanied by a hop from foot to foot. Justin managed to gingerly extract himself from her embrace which was fine with the girl since it made her free to get both arms around Brian's waist. Justin stood on the sidelines grinning while Brian did his best to loosen the enthusiastic girl’s hold without hurting her feelings. Brian looked up helplessly at the approaching family and mouthed ‘HELP’, much to the amusement of one and all. Gus reached his dad and sister before the others and pulled JR loose just enough to get the chance to get his own hug in.

"I'm so glad you made it Daddy Brian," he said with obvious delight, referring to his childhood name for Brian. He wanted to give his dad a quick peck but he had reached the stage of embarrassment for public displays of too much affection. He'd save the kiss for later. He turned quickly to Justin, who was now engulfed in JR's embrace, and added, "I'm glad you're here too Daddy Justin."

By this time the girls had reached the excited party and more hugs, kisses, and 'glad to see you's' were exchanged. Twenty minutes later suitcases, men, women, and children were safely packed into the jeep and everyone was headed back home. The ride back was filled with catching up and plans for the next few days.

The party was to start at six p.m. at one of the nicer hotels in town and would include dinner and dancing. As soon as Mel and Linds got back to the house, they escorted the men to their usual bedroom and waved a brisk farewell. They still had a dozen more preparations to deal with before everyone could dress and attend the night's festivities. They had no doubt the teens would keep the men occupied till they got back. Mel tossed the keys to the jeep to Gus with the usual admonition to obey all traffic laws, which earned a familiar quirk of his eyebrow followed by an even more familiar tongue planted firmly in cheek.

"Yes ma'am", he replied innocently. Mel had far too much on her mind to catch the sardonic tone to the young man's voice

Both Brian and Justin noticed how much more grown up both of the kids, especially Gus, were this visit. Brian marveled at how much Gus reminded him of himself thirty years ago. He was tall and slender, with an athlete’s body. Brian knew he played tennis, swam on the school team, and was involved in track and field. He had soulful hazel eyes that seemed to see things so clearly. There was a lot of intelligence behind those eyes...it was obvious for all to see. His light brown, almost blond hair was thick and wavy and hung almost to his collar. His facial features were well defined with a jutting chin that proved his parentage. He had a face and figure that any girl would swoon over and Brian was quite sure Gus was very popular with the ladies in school. He made a mental note to find out if Gus had any particular lady in mind, just out of curiosity of course.

Jenny Rebecca was a living doll. She showed all the signs of becoming a real beauty in a few years time. She too was slender with a tiny face like her Mother Mel's. She had shoulder length dark brown hair that was usually seen tied up in a pony tail to keep it off her neck. The girl had been a real tomboy for twelve years but puberty had set in and she had suddenly become girly almost overnight, wearing dresses and skirts with ties in her hair and a touch of lipstick that her moms had reluctantly agreed to. She had also discovered that boys were good for something besides rough housing and teasing. She had even had her first tentative kiss, although she had kept that a deep dark secret. The boy, Freddie, was in her class and had a huge crush on her. She let him steal a kiss but it would probably be the last time for him. Brian and Justin couldn't quite put their finger on it but it was clear that JR had done the most changing since their last visit.

After chattering away for an hour at the tired travelers, Gus and JR decided to give the men a break and try to get some things done for themselves before the party. Plus JR had received her first of the usual dozen phone calls from friends that she got on a steady basis. They headed off to their own rooms at the other end of the hall in the large four bedroom, two story, hundred year old house that the girls had found the year they first moved to Toronto, leaving Brian and Justin shaking their heads.

Justin looked over at Brian, who had collapsed onto their four poster bed. "Did we ever have that much energy when we were that age?" Justin asked.

"I'm too old to remember," Brian laughed.

Justin collapsed onto the bed next to Brian and, throwing his leg over the older man, drew him into his arms. "Come here, old man', he teased. Justin proceeded to give Brian a deep soulful kiss that awakened all of Brian's senses.

Justin looked down at Brian's tenting pants and laughed. "I guess you're not too old for everything."

Brian rose up, giving Justin a playful slap on his rump and replied. "Not now, honey...the kids."

Mention of the kids so close by cooled both men's ardor and they set about unpacking. Their discussion centered on the last seventeen years and how many things had changed with the entire Liberty gang and particularly the youngest two, Gus and JR. The men were proud of the kids, both of them, and even proud of how well Mel and Linds had done in raising them. They still regretted that the girls had never come back home, even though life had improved dramatically for the GLBT folks in the States in the last few years, but they understood how settled they had become and didn't complain.

Mel and Lindsay arrived home, exhausted from their chores, but satisfied that everything was in order and the night should go smoothly. Gus convinced his folks that he should drive everyone to their favorite diner for lunch. The girls had found the diner, Mama's Place, within weeks of their move and had been frequent visitors since. The place was homey and reminded Mel and Lindsay of their beloved Liberty Diner. The place had been opened by the mother of two gay sons fifty years earlier and the diner had been passed down to her sons when she retired. The eclectic group of customers had made the girls feel right at home from the very beginning.

The party of six settled into the extra large booths lining both sides of the wall. The waitress, a little speck of a woman with graying hair and a button proclaiming her name to be ‘Miss Amy’, hurried down the center aisle to take their order. She couldn't have been a day under 60 but there was no missing the flirty way she stared at Brian. Mel rolled her eyes heavenward and asked herself again what it was about the man. Men and women both seemed to fall under his spell, and he wasn't a spring chicken anymore. Although it was very true that he had held up quite well for a man in his mid forties, Mel still didn't get it.

Miss Amy finally turned to the other folks in the booth and took their orders too, almost like an afterthought, then left to turn them in. Justin laughed, earning a swift kick in the shin from Brian seated across from him. The teens had missed the whole thing. Linds grinned at Mel who scowled back. None of the older folks noticed that Miss Amy wasn't the only flirter. JR had taken pains to be able to sit next to Brian and made it a point to lean towards him as often as possible. The smitten youngster even laughed at everything the man said. Gus felt embarrassed for his sister but would be damned if he'd point out how silly she was being.

Everyone had a pleasant afternoon discussing events of the past, what the kids were up to now, and plans for the future while eating their various sandwiches and salads. A lot of the conversation centered on Gus. The young man was almost grown now. Justin reflected on how the boy was the exact same age as he was when he saw the baby Gus for the first time. The thought crossed Brian's mind too as he looked at his handsome son sitting right next to the blond beauty he had married. Brian's heart skipped a beat when he saw Justin and Gus share a laugh and he realized that these two were the most important people in his life. He thought again about how lucky he was to go from the misery of his own childhood to what he had now. A beautiful man, inside and out, was his life mate and he had an equally wonderful son. He mentally counted his blessings for the millionth time.

When the conversation got around to what Gus planned to do after graduation, Gus turned quiet. In truth he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He was interested in so many things. He had an inquisitive mind and was interested in business like his father, but he had his mother's artistic streak and enjoyed drawing very much like Justin.

JR was thrilled when the conversation slowed down on the topic of her 'perfect' brother so that she could step in and fill the void. The rest of the meal was spent listening to the giggly girl prattle on about all her friends, school, plans to be a famous and rich woman some day, and boys that wanted to date her. Everyone tried to appear absorbed in her stories but were secretly relieved when the meal was done and the bill paid. It was time to get home and get last minute preparations completed.

As the gang of six stepped out into the late afternoon sun, they were each lost in their own thoughts. Brian and Justin thought about how far they had come in seventeen years. Gus and JR thought about how happy they were to have Brian and Justin with them, but how much they missed the rest of their Pittsburgh family. Mel and Lindsay thought about the twenty plus years that they had been together and how much they loved each other, even with all the ups and downs that had accompanied their relationship. Right now, as they stood with their hands clasping each other, they thought about the years to come...the graduations of their two children, and the grandchildren they would someday welcome into their home. They looked at each other for a moment before heading for the car and smiled into each other’s faces. They leaned in for a tender kiss.

"Come on you guys," JR shouted over her shoulder as she ran to keep up with the boys who were headed for the car. The wives parted and headed down the street towards the rest of the family...towards their future.

To be continued...


	3. A Fun Time Was Had by All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Anniversary party has turned into a huge success, and everybody has had a wonderful time. But tragedy waits around the bend.

The party was turning into a big fat success and the girls couldn't have been happier. Mel's colleagues from her law firm, Scutter and Fry, were a lively bunch of legal eagles who certainly knew how to enjoy themselves. Brian had even found their conversation stimulating. Lindsay's guests were mostly art patrons, of her small art studio, who were particularly fond of the passionate art connoisseur that always steered them on to the best paintings and sculptures to buy for their tastes. Justin enjoyed their company the most, and they found him extremely interesting in return.

The kids, who along with a friend for each, were actually the only young ones there. They mingled with the colorful crowd and spent most of their time watching everyone else having fun and doing a little turn on the dance floor when the song wasn't too lame. Gus had brought along his best friend, Heather, to keep him company and JR got her best friend, Angie, to be her companion. Heather was a remarkably lovely girl with curly chestnut hair that hung past her shoulders and a curvy girlish figure. She had an air of confidence and intelligence that drew people to her and she had been Gus' best bud since the first week his family had moved in next to hers. Angie was as giggly as a two year old with enough energy for a dozen teens. She was slightly plumb in a cuddly kind of way, with dancing eyes and a head full of straight, black hair, cropped short by a domineering Mother. It was easy to see why the two young teens were such fast friends. When they weren't ogling the better looking of the men in the crowd, they had their heads together gossiping about all of the other adults that were floating about. Not surprisingly, a lot of the gossip among the pubescent girls centered on Brian and Justin. JR had staked her claim to Brian long ago, but Angie had no problem with that. He was too old for her tastes. She found the younger blond god, Justin, to die for. She knew he was somewhere in his thirties, but Angie thought he didn't look much older than Gus. She envied JR's good luck in having such gorgeous relatives. She was an only child and didn't even have aunts or uncles. Sometimes she thought it wasn't fair that JR had so much and she had so little, but she would have never said a word. JR had a temper and probably wouldn't want to be friends anymore if she could read Angie's deep, dark secret.

But tonight was all about fun. The food had been scrumptious, the wine and champagne flowed (sparkling cider and colas for the underage, of course), and the music was hot. The kids danced whenever the mood struck them and were having a really good time. Occasionally, someone would congratulate them on their parents’ long marriage which would elicit a polite thank you. The kids were proud of their Mothers, but were only slightly aware of the great accomplishment they'd had in keeping home and family together through all of their trials and tribulations. All they knew was that they felt safe and secure in their world and that was enough for them. Brian and Justin were enjoying themselves and basking in the appreciative stares of many of the party goers, both male and female. They felt comfortable in the group since they had already made the acquaintances of many of the guests in previous visits. They had enjoyed the meal, the conversations, and the dancing, although it was a tad sedate for their tastes. Brian used all his efforts to be mannerly and keep his hands off certain parts of Justin's anatomy while they moved on the dance floor. As midnight approached, Brian's restlessness increased. He excused himself from the group of five he'd been chatting with and went to explore. Ten minutes later, Brian rejoined the group and put his arm through Justin's. He waited patiently for a full minute for a lull in the conversation, then jumped in.

"Excuse me, folks. I see some old friends I'd like to introduce my partner to," Brian apologized. With that, he started hurrying away, dragging a surprised Justin with him. Justin realized quickly that Brian was moving him away from the party, not into it.

"Brian, where are you taking me?" he asked curiously.

Brian stopped for one moment, put his finger to his lips, and shushed the blond.

"You'll see. Just trust me."

Well, that went without question. Justin always trusted Brian, even when the man got him into some mischief. Wherever he was taking him, Justin was sure it'd be worth the trip.

In a few minutes they were out of sight of the revellers. Brian stopped in front of a huge freight elevator. He stepped in, pulling a confused Justin with him. He pressed the up button and waited for the huge door to close. The lift began to rise. When it had reached an area between floors Brian punched the emergency stop button. Justin turned to Brian.

"Wha-?"

He didn't get any further. Brian crushed his body and lips to his lover in one swift movement.

"If I couldn't get my hands on that gorgeous body of yours soon, I'd have exploded. You look good enough to eat."

Justin laughed. "Well, take a bite, my good man!"

Brian was always good at following Justin's requests. He bent his head down to that silken skinned neck he loved so much and began taking little nips and licking the spot he'd just bitten. Justin's head fell back and he pressed his lower torso closer so that both men could feel the hardening bulge in their crotches. Justin shuddered with anticipation. It had been seventeen years now and he was still turned on instantly whenever Brian touched him, especially with such hunger.

Brian stopped his ministrations on Justin's upper body and began removing Justin's clothing, carefully laying it on the wooden crate at the side of the cavernous lift. Justin reciprocated, also being careful not to muss Brian's expensive suit. When the men stood before each other naked as the day they were born, Brian pulled the burlap sack that had been left in the lift earlier onto the floor and spread it out. He and Justin moved in for a session of hot ‘frenching’ that left both men panting, then Brian whipped Justin around. He helped the blond lower himself to the ground onto his hands and knees. Brian lowered himself on his knees behind his lover. He touched Justin's ass which was a signal for him to spread his legs further apart. Justin lowered his head onto his hands which brought his perfect bubble butt straight up and his glorious man hole and the back of his heavily hanging ball sac into full view. Brian lowered his face and let his tongue snake out to taste and smell the heady musk and soap odors that awaited him. He began rimming Justin expertly until the young man began begging for the blessed feeling of being full again.

"Damn it, Brian. Fuck me," he moaned over and over.

Brian waited until he recognized the 'point of no return' sound that he knew so well and then stopped just long enough to slide the waiting condom onto his dripping cock. Justin needed no more prep. His hole was more than ready for the invasion, and Brian buried his manhood to the hilt in one swift and exquisite move. Brian rested for a moment, relishing the feel of Justin as his walls quivered around the beautiful piece of Brian that he now had captured inside him. Then Brian began the rhythm that always brought both men to their shattering climaxes. Justin pushed himself back onto Brian each time Brian pushed himself into Justin. After what seemed an eternity of mounting pleasure, Justin felt his release spray out of him and onto the sack. A few seconds later Brian's cock could take the torment no more, and he felt his orgasm shake his whole body.

Brian collapsed onto a still shaken Justin. He rolled to the side, reluctantly pulling his softening cock from its comforting home.

When the men started breathing right again, Justin gave a small giggle. "Do you think the girls missed us?"

"Don’t know, but I think I can make it through the rest of the party now."

"Glad to be of help, Mr. Kinney," Justin laughed.

After a quick clean up and redressing, Brian pushed the down button and the men exited the elevator with no signs (outside of a rolled up burlap bag in the corner) that anything had occurred. As they re-entered the dining hall of the hotel, Brian caught the eye of both Mel and Linds as they were bidding good bye to a group of their guests. Linds gave them a 'I knew it' look, and Mel gave them a 'not again' look. Both men returned with an innocent look that they knew the girls would never buy.

The rest of the evening whizzed by. A very relaxed Brian and Justin sought out Gus and began subtly (or so they thought), questioning the boy on his relationship with the very attractive and obviously smitten Heather. Justin could remember vividly how quickly and thoroughly he had fallen for his first love and he wanted to be sure that Gus knew what he was getting into. Not that he would have listened to any advice at that age.

Gus was as good as his Dad in avoiding subjects. The most the men could get out of him was an acknowledgement that Heather was special. If they wanted more info they were going to be disappointed. JR was finally able to drag Brian onto the dance floor which gave the giggly Angie her chance at Justin. It took Mel and Linds announcing that the party was winding down for the hapless men to get a chance to make their escape from the adolescent girls.

Twenty minutes of good byes to the last stragglers, and Mel and Linds were able to gather the troops and make plans to head home. Brian and Justin would be taking the kids in the Jeep so that the girls could finish up with the hotel staff and last minute checks. Besides, Gus wanted another excuse to drive everyone around. Having a driver's license had become his pride and joy and he liked to show it off every chance he got. The girls would not be far behind them in the van that was already loaded with all their gifts from the party.

Gus leaned over and gave a quick peck on the top of his two mother's heads before sliding into the driver’s seat of Mel's Jeep. Mel reminded Gus to obey all traffic laws again which earned a groan from the boy and then they had a group hug with JR and her mother's. Brian and Justin squeezed into the back seat leaving just enough room for JR and Angie to join them. JR was a little disappointed that Brian had taken the window seat but she got over it as she and Angie began recounting the whole night.

The merry band of six waved as they did a 180 in the parking lot and headed in the direction of the Marcus/Peterson homestead. Mel and Linds hugged and congratulated themselves on a successful party. It took a little longer than expected, but twenty minutes later the girls were on their way home too. The Jeep had safely delivered Angie home and was just pulling up into the family driveway.

The girls were less than a half mile from their house when a song began playing on the radio. It was "Follow That Dream" by Elvis Presley. Memories came flooding back. That had been playing the night the girls had announced their wedding to the Liberty Gang. Mel turned to Linds with a huge smile and mouthed, "I love you." Linds smiled back.

In that instant, the car in front of them lost control on the icy street! When Mel turned back one second later, she saw the spinning vehicle only a few car lengths in front of her. She slammed on her brakes instinctively! For a breathtaking instant the car stopped and it looked like everything would be alright. Just then, the wheels hit a small patch of icy road! Their car began to spin wildly too. Suddenly, it hit the embankment and began flipping over! The side of the road was lined with trees and the van slammed into one of the largest. The vehicle folded like a demented accordion! Everything went silent.

Brian and Justin stood on the porch and watched Gus escort Heather to her front door. They grinned at each other and thought about how much the boy had grown up. Gus came back to the porch and joined his two dads. The three of them stood there staring into the cold starry night while listening to JR prattle on about the party to one of her many friends on the phone. They were waiting for the girls to pull up so they could help them bring in the many gifts they'd received. No one noticed the sound of sirens speeding down the nearby highway.

To be continued....


	4. The Party's Over!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian is forced to give the tragic news to an anxious Gus and JR.

Brian was the first to lose patience with the waiting game for the girls. His irritation grew with each passing minute. It wasn't exactly springtime in Toronto right now and he was freezing his balls off. In a minute, he was going to give up and go inside for a nice belly warming slug of Jim Beam, (something the girls always made sure they had on hand whenever Brian was coming to town). It took Justin's cooler head to realize that something probably had gone wrong.

"Brian, stop fidgeting. They'll be here... unless their car broke down or something," Justin admonished Brian.

Justin turned to Gus who was obviously growing steadily more anxious.

"They did have their cell phones with them, didn't they, Gus?" Justin asked.

"They always do," came the reply. "I'll try and get JR to release her death grip on the phone and I'll try to get them."

Gus hurried into the house, and the men could hear the heated discussion between brother and sister as they argued over possession of the telephone. Gus must have been the winner since he returned several minutes later, looking more worried than when he'd left.

"I tried several times to reach them on both their phones and I can't get anything." Gus turned to Brian. "Why won't one of them pick up, at least? It's not like them. Something's wrong!" His agitation was growing with each word spoken.

Brian put his arm around his son, who was already the same height as him, and tapped his shoulder. "I'm sure its nothing, Sonnyboy, but we should backtrack just in case." He turned to Justin, who looked just as concerned as Gus. "Up for another late night ride, Sunshine?" Justin was back at the Jeep before Brian could finish the last word. Gus had run back in the house to let JR know that they were going to check on their mothers. JR stopped in mid-sentence to one of her many cronies and tossed a quick bye to her waiting brother. Gus headed back out to the Jeep and jumped in the back. His worry for Mel and Linds had made him forget all about the need to drive at every opportunity.

Brian pulled out of the girl's driveway with a screech of tires and headed towards the nearby freeway. He had gone only about five blocks from the house when the three men saw flashing lights in the night sky. One more block revealed an ambulance pulled to the side of the road on the opposite side of the Jeep and a half dozen police vehicles scattered about. Traffic, though not heavy, was at a complete standstill in both directions. A stabbing coldness like ice began gripping the insides of the men in the Jeep.

"Dad?"

Brian could hear the fear creeping into Gus's voice and it echoed in his own brain. There were only a few cars in front of the men but Brian could feel Justin's fingers digging into his arm as they crept ever closer to the scene of what looked like an extremely bad accident. When they finally reached a point where they had a visual of the car that was wrecked on the side of the road, Justin let out a loud moan like Brian had never heard before followed by an even louder "NO!" from the back seat.

Brian swerved the Jeep to the side of the road and was quickly swarmed by several officers in uniform, looking none too happy. He had exited the vehicle moments before the first officer could reach him.

"Sir, this isn't a circus. Get back in your car and move out," came the angry voice of the first officer.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Brian shot back. "I know that car! It belongs to my son's mother." Brian pointed back to the Jeep where Justin was trying valiantly to get Gus to sit back and let Brian handle things. "My son is in that Jeep. We NEED to know what happened and what's going on. Where are Mel and Linds?"

The stern look on the officer's face changed in an instant, but the look was even more frightening to Brian. It was a look of pity. "What is your name, sir?" the officer asked more gently. The tone brought ice to Brian's veins. He looked over to the Jeep again and answered slowly. "It's Kinney, Brian Kinney. That car over there looks like the family car. We were expecting the women to be home any minute and they hadn't arrived. Please tell me." Brian paused, trying to gather his wits about him. "There were two women in the car... a tall blonde in her mid-forties and a short brunet a couple years older. Are they all right? Where are they?"

The officer took a quick breath. He always detested this part of his job, but the anxious man in front of him didn't look like the type you could coddle so he went ahead with his duty.

"There were two ladies in the vehicle, Mr. Kinney. They've taken their bodies away in an ambulance. I can tell you where. I'm so sorry!"

Brian had stopped hearing a word when the uniformed man standing in front of him said 'bodies'! He suddenly felt a gut wrenching pain that felt like the sucker punch Justin's father had laid on him so many, many years ago. Only this pain went deeper, much deeper. Brian felt on the verge of throwing up and only the tug on his jacket brought him back to his senses. He turned to stare into the bewildered face of Justin. Justin had seen the way Brian had changed in an instant. He knew instinctively that something was very very wrong. As always, his first reaction was to run to Brian's side.

"Brian?"

Brian turned his stricken face towards his lover and tried to speak. Words stuck in his throat like glue. He shook his head in anger, trying to dislodge the agonizing words he needed to say but dreaded to hear. Justin waited patiently, knowing that Brian had to pull himself together before he could go any further. Brian looked over at the Jeep and saw his son leaning on the outside of the vehicle, fear written all over his face. Brian took a shuddering breath. "They're dead, Justin!"

Every word was a hammer blow to Justin's heart. He looked rapidly over at Gus too. "Both of them?" he moaned. "How are we going to tell the kids?"

Brian had no answer. He had never felt this kind of pain before. Justin's bashing was the closest thing to it but that pain was his to bear alone. This was different. So Goddamned different. This pain would have to be shared with the young ones and Brian had no clue how he could do it. Before he could answer Justin, an officious looking man in a suit approached and interrupted.

"Sir, my officer tells me that you are related to one of the women that was in the accident. We need to get some information from you."

Brian nodded, almost relieved to have a direction to go with his jumbled thoughts.

"Can you give me the name of the two women?"

"Their names are Melanie Marcus-Peterson and Lindsay Marcus-Peterson."

"So they were related?"

"They were married." Brian noticed the familiar look of disdain that flashed fleetingly over the officer's face, but was in no mood to deal with an asshole's attitude. He said nothing more, waiting to see which direction the judgmental man was headed for.

After a brief pause, the officer continued. "All right. So how are you related?"

"Lindsay is... was my son's mother. This is my husband, Justin, here and we came up from the States to visit the girls for their Anniversary."

Brian had put his arm around Justin, drawing him close and looking defiantly into the officer's face for a reaction. The man was more careful this time in revealing any disapproval. There was something about the way the older man looked at him that made the officer nervous and convinced him that discretion was the better part of valor.

"Just one more question, sir. Can you come down to the hospital morgue and make an ID for us?"

Brian felt that deep searing pain again and clung tighter to Justin's waist. Justin knew Brian wouldn't be able to take much more. He spoke up for the first time, looking deeply into Brian's misery filled eyes.

"Brian, why don't you go with the officer and I'll take Gus back home. I'll tell them that there has been an accident but we don't know all the details yet. I'll wait for you to get back. We'll deal with this together."

The word, together, had never sounded better to Brian. He clung to it like a lifeline. Somehow it made him feel less frightened and unstable. He knew that he could handle anything with Justin beside him. Although, for the life of him he didn't know how he was going to get through this tragedy in one piece. He leaned down and gave Justin a kiss of gratitude that came from the deepest part of his heart. He then turned to the officer and began following him over to a parked police vehicle.

Justin watched his lover move away from him with the slow steps of a man that was weighed down by more than he could carry. It made Justin's heart bleed. He knew that Brian always seemed the stronger of the two, but in fact Brian was more easily devastated by life's cruelties than himself. He wished he could wipe away the pain for all of them. But now was the time to deal with the aftershocks of this life changing night, not a time for empty useless wishes. Justin crossed the road and headed for the Jeep.

Gus stood like a statue as he saw Justin approaching from the other side of the road. He could barely breathe, waiting to hear what was happening. Justin drew close and put his arm through the young boy's who stood taller than him, just like his Father did. He wasted no time.

"Gus, there's been an accident. Your mom's have been taken to the hospital so Brian is going with the police officers and see what he can do. He'll tell us everything there is to know as soon as he can. We need to get back to the house and wait."

Justin's words didn't begin to answer all the questions that whirled like a mad dervish through Gus's brain, but he recognized the calming effect that Justin's voice gave him and moved back into the passenger seat of the Jeep. There was no desire to show off his driving skills this night. All he could think about was his baby sister and how she was going to react to their injured parents. Within minutes the Jeep had pulled back into the family driveway. The two men heard the sounds of JR's laughter as she recounted some silly prank that she and Angie had pulled on a waiter at the Anniversary party. For a single moment the sound was comforting. It sounded so normal... like all was right with the world again. Justin was the first to break from the spell. He walked into the living area and saw the young teen sprawled on the large Early American sofa. He spoke as slowly and deliberately as he could, making sure to keep his tone moderate.

"JR, I need you to say goodbye. We need to leave the phone free."

JR was clearly agitated to be interrupted but there was something in Justin's face that would brook no argument. JR was a perceptive child, no doubt about it. She mumbled a quick farewell and laid the head set in its cradle. She turned to the two fellas standing stiffly at the end of the sofa.

"What's up, guys?"

Gus sat down to be close to his sister and waited while Justin gave her the same story he had passed on to Gus earlier. The next hour was spent in keeping both young folks as calm as possible while Justin secretly cried a river of tears inside. He knew that nothing would ever be the same for these two kids that he had loved from the day they were born. There were too many unanswered questions plaguing Justin, however, for him to concentrate on any one thought. The only thought that wouldn't go away was... how was Brian dealing with all this and when would he come back to them.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the huddled little group heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. A couple minutes passed and then the sound of the front door opening drew everyone to the foyer. Brian stood there with the look of a man who had just lost his best friend clearly written on his face. JR began to cry before Brian could utter a sound. Gus sank to the steps of the stairwell just muttering ‘No, No, No’, over and over again. Justin wrapped his arms around JR and Brian wrapped his around the both of them. He knew that tonight was going to be one of the longest and most painful of his life... and he didn't have the first fucking clue how to get through it.

To be continued....


	5. Changes are Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael has joined Brian and Justin in Toronto to try and work out what to do about Gus and JR. The decision is made for Brian and Justin to take over custody, but Brian is having trouble dealing with his fears of failing as a parent.

Justin sat at Mel's old roll top desk and sifted his hands through the mountain of papers scattered in front of him. The last two weeks had probably been the hardest and most painful of his life. He could hear the sound of the television muted by the closed study door. He didn't have to go to the family room in order to know what was happening out there. Gus and JR would be sitting at opposite ends of the large sofa in front of the TV screen and pretending that they were paying attention to whatever was being broadcast. You would only know they were blind to the set if you looked directly in their eyes.

Everyone in the Marcus-Peterson home had spent the last two weeks walking around in a fog and time hadn't improved the situation yet. Justin seemed the only one who had been able to keep a clear head when it was absolutely necessary, so most tasks had fallen on his shoulders. Even the normally together Brian had seemed to shrink inside himself. Justin knew how much he cared for his friend Lindsay, but her sudden and unexpected death had hit Brian much harder than anyone would have guessed. Justin was actually very concerned about his husband. Justin finished gathering all the papers into their individual piles, based on their importance, and heaved a deep sigh. There were only a few more days left to finalize the details of getting the house on the market and preparing to move back to Pittsburgh with the teens in tow. Both kids had an unpleasant meltdown when they were first told of the move, but after a couple of days of sulking they seemed to accept the inevitability of their situation.

Justin's heart bled for the kids. He knew how hard the death of their mom's had been on them. Justin's own mother, Jennifer... bless her.... was still a very active fifty something lady with a younger boyfriend of many years now, but Justin's father had died of liver cancer just before Justin's thirtieth birthday. It was actually an odd feeling since the almost identical thing had happened to Brian. Both men had little respect for their parent, but Justin found it a hard pill to swallow that his Dad was now gone and they would never have a chance to make up with each other. Of course he realized that Gus and JR were even worse off since they adored their parents and were far too young to make it on their own. The sudden sound of glass breaking pulled Justin out of his memories and caused him to rush, from the study, in the direction the sound had come from... the kitchen. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Brian leaning over and picking at the remnants of a large tumbler laying on the floor. Brian stood up awkwardly on shaky legs when he heard the kitchen door slam open. "I had a wee itty bitty accident, Sunshine," he slurred.

Justin moved to Brian quickly and took the large jagged piece of glass from his fingers.

"Brian, sit down before you fall down. I'll take care of this." Justin tried to keep his tone non-judgemental, but he was getting a little tired of Brian's attitude. The man had been like a rock for the first couple of days after the tragedy but all of a sudden he seemed to disappear into himself and he spent most of his time drinking and toking. Justin knew that this was Brian's way of escaping from the pain, but it was time for him to come out of it. Justin couldn't take care of everything by himself for much longer.

Justin cleaned the kitchen floor quickly and scooped Brian into his arms. With his arm around Brian's waist, he led his lover to the stairs leading to their bedroom. Gus met them halfway down the hall with a look at his Dad that was half frustration and half confusion. Justin sent him back to the family room with a reminder that dinner would be in another hour or so. Gus turned back but not before showing his irritation at Brian.

Justin took the stumbling Brian up to their room and dropped him onto their bed. He was just about to leave the room when he heard the small whimper from Brian that tore at Justin's insides.

"I'm scared, Justin!" Brian almost whispered the words and Justin barely caught them, but it was enough to make him come to an immediate halt.

Justin turned back to the bed and laid down beside Brian while wrapping his arms around the man from behind. Brian scooted himself closer to Justin as if the warmth of his husband's body would bring him back to life. Justin held tight as Brian screwed up his courage to talk.

"Gus is almost a man, Justin. I don't know how to be a full time father. I'm going to mess this all up. And what about JR. I'm going to fail them. They're going to end up hating me."

Every word seemed to be a pain for Brian to say. Justin could feel Brian's fear as it hung heavy in the air between them. It tore at Justin to see Brian so unsure of himself but he understood where it came from and there was no way that he would let this magnificent man continue to doubt himself.

"Brian, I want you to listen to me." He paused long enough to give Brian a chance to turn around and face him. "Are you listening?" A quick nod from Brian spurred Justin on. "We've already got the ball rolling. We've got things settled concerning the kids and everybody is on board with it. You know that Michael would never have gone along with the plan if he didn't trust you. And I KNOW that you can handle this. None of this is as it should be, but now it has to be this way. We're going to screw up... that's a given. But we're going to do it together... and the kids are going to be fine, Brian." Justin paused again. Then, "you believe me, don't you?" Brian looked straight into Justin's eyes, and even in his drunken state, couldn't deny Justin's sincerity. He thought again of how much love Justin brought into their relationship. He knew that it was Justin that made him feel whole no matter what. All the business and tom-catting success he’d had before Justin had come into his life had never brought that feeling of satisfaction that Justin gave him every day of his life now. He trusted this man with every ounce of his being.

"I believe you!" he stated quietly, but with conviction.

Justin smiled at Brian. He could see the man pulling himself together with each passing second. He now knew it was safe to leave Brian alone and let him get some rest. He needed to get back downstairs and talk to the kids, especially Gus, and then get some dinner going. Justin leaned down and pulled Brian's face up to his. He planted a firm kiss on his lovers lips and felt the familiar stirring of pleasure that Brian's lips always brought to him. Brian returned the kiss with all the fervor of a man who had been drowning and just been saved.

"I'm going to go downstairs and talk to the kids. You take a nap. I'll wake you for dinner. Sound like a plan?"

Brian shook his head in gratitude and stretched out in order to relax his body. His eyes shut and Justin could swear he had fallen asleep before Justin had even reached the bedroom door. Justin was tremendously grateful because he knew Brian hadn't gotten hardly any sleep in the last couple of weeks. He quietly closed the door behind him and paused with his back against the door. A deep sigh escaped him as he gathered his thoughts and prepared himself for an all important session with Gus and JR.

Justin thought back to the first three days after the tragic loss of Mel and Linds. There had been no sleep that first night for anyone. The sound of crying filled the house as JR succumbed to her pain. Gus could be heard crying occasionally and then silence from his room. After a bit, the crying would start once more and then there would be silence again. This went on the whole night. Brian had gone from one room to the other trying to comfort the kids. Justin usually would be found in the room that Brian had vacated. Both men had refused to allow their own grief to get in the way of being there for the young ones.

The next day, both of the kids stayed in their rooms, refusing to eat or talk anymore. Michael had flown to Toronto that day and gotten into town in time for lunch. He had been forced to come alone since Ben was in the midst of another bad infection that now plagued him frequently. Debbie had stayed behind to keep an eye on Ben. The three men had sat around the kitchen table discussing what was to be done for the future. Both girls had left their children with no relatives on their side who could be of any help with anything. Mel's parents were long deceased and she had very little contact with the rest of her scattered family. Lindsay's mom had died several years after they moved to Toronto and her father spent all his time travelling with his new girlfriend and enjoying a freestyle life. He and Lindsay had grown closer since her mother's passing, but he had no intention of settling down. Lindsay's sister was on her fifth marriage, but it didn't matter since she had long ago made it clear that she detested her sister after the display she put on during her third marriage reception. It was clear from the beginning that the fathers would have to be responsible for the kids.

Justin had located all of the girl's private papers in the study room's roll top desk, which included the wills for both girls. A careful reading made it clear that Mel and Linds had been well prepared for any contingency. They had left everything they owned to the kids with Brian and Michael as equal guardians of said property in case both women died. It was that part of the will that had thrown Brian for a loop. When Justin had read the part that put the responsibility for Gus on Brian's shoulders, Brian seemed to change overnight. That was when he had started to withdraw.

Brian's attitude had confused and angered the kids and irritated Justin, but now he better understood where it came from. His job now was to explain it to the kids.

Michael had only stayed two days, so he was unaware of Brian's reactions. He had left the very next day after the will was read. That night the three men had discussed fully what was to be done with the kids. There was definitely not enough room in Michael and Ben's house for both kids. Debbie had Hunter's room and the third bedroom was quite small. It would never hold two teens, especially of the opposite sex. On top of that, Debbie had not been in the best of health lately. She had been having angina attacks more frequently and was often tired and run down. There was no way she could handle sharing her room with an active young teen girl.

Brian and Justin had sold Britin a long time ago and bought a very modern all glass home that had four bedrooms, a large game room, a study, and even a studio that Justin used for his art. The master bedroom was completely separate from the other bedrooms which provided a lot of privacy when the men had guests over. Justin also liked the idea of keeping the kids together. He truly believed that they would be good for each other. So, with Michael's approval, the decision was made for both kids to move in with Brian and Justin. They could even attend the same school by being enrolled at St. James Academy, which had classes for all grade levels. Justin had had his problems there when he was attending, but he did get a great education and the place had learned a lot of tolerance over the years.

Once Michael had left and decisions had been made, Justin had hoped that things would settle down some, but Brian had just gotten more distant. Now Justin finally understood and had a better handle on things. He was beginning to feel more confident in the future. The kids had seemed to accept the decisions that the grown ups had made concerning them but they had said very little. They were obviously put off by Brian's distant attitude and Justin was too busy getting all the business details completed, such as selling the Toronto home, packing up everything, making arrangements to close Lindsay's studio, and clear out Mel's things from the law firm. Arrangements had to be made concerning school transfers. The kids had gone back to school during the last week, but they said little about their days when they returned home. The truth was, that the gap was growing steadily with each passing day between the men and the kids. Justin was hoping that a lot of that could be aired out tonight. Changes that no one had ever wanted were happening and it did no one any good to deny that. At least he now felt that Brian was ready to deal with things. Tonight, he hoped, would set the tone for the future. And he prayed that tone would be one that all of them could live with.

Justin pushed himself away from the bedroom door and headed for the stairs. He could hear the television still playing in the family room so he headed in that direction. He reached the entryway to the family room and stopped. He stood there watching the kids as they stared at the screen. He took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Ahem," Justin began. The kids turned and looked at him. Justin faltered for only a second and then added, "can you turn the TV off, guys? We need to talk."

Gus grabbed the remote next to him and clicked the set off. The two teens settled back on their ends of the sofa and waited for Justin to settle in the overstuffed lounge chair across from them. They were not sure what was to come. They had stopped trying to understand the chaos their lives had become. The one man that they had thought was going to be their strength had failed them and fear was written all over their faces. Now they just hoped that Daddy Justin would have the answers to the questions that they needed answered and the questions they didn't even know they had. They looked at Justin and waited.

To be continued....


	6. Setting Things Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justin explains why Brian has been so distant to a confused Gus and JR, getting them to understand the man better. Then he tackles Brian, getting the man to understand what has been eating at him.

Gus and JR stared at Justin with all the intensity of their youth. The last two weeks had left them hurt, confused, angry, frustrated, and in desperate need of stability. Their world, that they were perfectly content living, had disappeared in one fell swoop only two weeks ago and they were left feeling like they were standing in quicksand. They were drowning, and the one man who they thought would rescue them had failed them miserably. They had no idea why Brian had become so distant. It was almost as if he was angry at them for something they were unaware of.

Justin watched their faces and felt like crying. The pain they felt was crystal clear, but he prayed he'd be able to wipe some of it away tonight. He took a deep breath and dove in.

"Gus… JR… I need to talk to you. I need to explain some things and then you can ask me anything you want. I'll try to be as square with you as possible." Justin paused to give the kids a chance to nod their agreement. Once they had, he continued on.

"I know that you've been confused by what's happening. I'm not talking about the loss of your moms... I'm talking about the way that your dad has been acting." He waited for the kids to respond but was answered with stares that showed too many emotions to define.

He continued on. "Anyway, I think it's time I told you guys a little story and maybe that will help you to understand where Brian is coming from. I don't think that your moms ever told you much about your dad's past history, especially as a child himself. Am I right?"

Both teens nodded yes.

"Well, it's time you heard the story because his upbringing is what makes Brian who he is. Or better still, he is who he is DESPITE his upbringing." Justin emphasized that last point to make it clear that it was very important. "But sometimes his childhood creeps in and messes with his head even now."

"Brian loves you guys, you have to know that! He wants nothing but the best for you, especially now that you've lost the best thing in your lives. It kills him that this has happened to you and he'd give anything to change it. That's part of the problem. He feels helpless and Brian doesn't do helpless very well. The biggest problem is that he has convinced himself that he is not going to be enough for you guys."

With that, the teens sat forward and gave little cries of protest. Justin stopped them.

"No, listen to me. Brian's father and mother both made it very clear to him from the very beginning that he was unwanted. They were never satisfied with anything he ever did or said. He spent his entire childhood being beaten by his father and ignored by his mother. He had to turn to your grandmother, Debbie, and her family for any kind of love or affection. That's why your two dads are such close friends. Brian protected Michael from bullies and Michael provided the affectionate family Brian so desperately needed."

Justin now had their rapt attention. He continued on. "Brian loved the Novotny clan with all his heart but he trusted no one else on the planet. He was convinced that no one could love him and so he built up a wall around his heart. He wouldn't let a soul touch that heart, except for Deb and her family, for the first 30 years of his life. He became obsessed with being a success in business because it provided tangible proof that he was worth something, but he didn't know how to prove even to himself that he was worth anything emotionally."

Justin didn't bother to go into details on how Brian went about trying to prove his worth physically with his nightly visits to back rooms and bath houses.

"It took a cocky seventeen year old kid who fell in love with him to finally convince him that he was worth loving, and believe me it wasn't easy. It took years of ups and downs and joy and sorrow to break that wall down."

Justin couldn't help smiling at some of the memories of his struggles over Brian's heart and the teens were perceptive enough to pick up on it.

"Were you that kid, Justin?" Gus asked.

"I was that kid... the same age as you are now, Gus. I know your moms told you the story of how I named you. I don't know if they told you how that was the very first night I had been with your dad, too. We met and spent the evening together and that's when he got the call about you being born. Rather than ending our 'date', he took me along to the hospital and that's the night I saw you and fell in love."

Gus couldn't stop himself from laughing. "And I've had you to blame for my name ever since!" Gus replied.

"‘Fraid so, kiddo. You should have heard the other ideas for names. Anyway, the point is that now he knows how much he's loved but sometimes his insecurities about his worth can creep back up from the past and sock him in the gut. He loved Lindsay, you mom, so very much. They were the best of friends... and he cared a lot for Mel, even though they didn't always get along. Their loss hit him a lot harder than you realize. He would have been okay if he hadn't discovered that they expected him to take over the role of teacher and parent for you. It was even worse when it became obvious that he needed to be that for BOTH of you."

The wary look came into their eyes again, but Justin moved forward rapidly.

"Don't get me wrong. It isn't that he doesn't want the responsibility. It's that he is afraid he'll fail you. And that would kill him. Like I said, he only wants the best for you and he's convinced that wouldn't be him. I KNOW better. We're going to screw up sometimes and you guys are going to be royally pissed at us on occasion. I'm sure of that. But I'm also sure that we will survive and do all right as a family. We all love each other, and that will go a long way in making this thing work. Are you guys willing to give us a chance?"

The teens turned to each other. Silent words passed between them. They then rose as a unit and rushed over to Justin. JR flung herself into his lap and gave him a bear hug that belied her slender body. She had almost knocked the breath out of him. Gus leaned down and gave Justin a quick kiss on the side of the cheek that wasn't being smothered in JR's soft brown hair. He then leaned in using his long slender arms to hug both Justin and his sister. The tension that had permeated the house for such a long time began dissipating with every second that passed. The three people in the room continued to cling together as a single unit for a minute or two more and then broke apart, almost but not quite, embarrassed by their enthusiastic display of affection.

Justin cleared his throat, which had grown tight with the powerful emotions he was feeling at the moment, and stood up. He threw his arm around the waists of the teens and turned them towards the family room entryway.

"So, who is up for giving their step-dad a hand with dinner?" he queried. Two hands flew up and JR leaned up to plant another kiss on Justin's cheek. The trio walked arm in arm towards the kitchen. Thirty minutes later, the smells of baked fish fillets and tater tots filled the kitchen and JR was busy tossing a mixed Caesar salad together in a large bowl, unconsciously humming to herself. Gus was busy pouring ice into tumblers and getting the iced tea ready. Justin watched the two while waiting to remove the pans from the oven and his heart felt full for the first time in quite a while. Now all he had to do was include Brian in this family portrait.

Justin excused himself with an admonishment to keep a close eye on the fish and headed for the stairs. When he reached the door to his and Brian's bedroom, he hesitated. When he opened the door he could hear the soft sound of snoring that Brian only made when he was in a deep sleep. Justin tiptoed into the darkened room and moved to the bed. He sat on the edge and stared down at his sleeping lover. Brian looked so vulnerable with his head resting on his arm and his other arm laying across his stomach as if he was trying to protect himself. He looked so peaceful and Justin was loathe to disturb him. He would let the man get his much needed rest. They could all deal with things tomorrow. The kids were much better now and the rest of the discussion could wait a wee bit longer.

Justin rose and headed for the bathroom. He took a pee, being as quiet as he could, flushed and tiptoed back through the bedroom, heading for the door. He had just reached the doorway when he heard..."Not even a kiss to wake me from my slumber, my prince?"

"Damn, you startled me Brian! I thought you were sleeping soundly. I didn't want to wake you."

"Now, you know I can't sleep without you beside me, Sunshine. Especially when you're so close by." Even in the dark, Justin could see the brightness from Brian's teeth as he flashed a huge grin at him. Brian started sniffing the air. "Yummmm, is that some of your famous fish I smell baking, my good man?"

Justin laughed. "So now you're finally hungry for food."

"Oh, I'm hungry all right, for lots of things. But food will have to come first."

Brian sat up fully and swung his legs over the side of the bed, tapping the mattress to indicate where he wanted Justin to sit. Justin moved back to the bed and sat down next to Brian. Brian grabbed him up in his arms and planted a big kiss on Justin's willing mouth. The men were enjoying several minutes of stimulating lip action when they heard Gus's voice from downstairs.

"Hey, guys, the fish is gonna be dry as a bone if you don't get down here quick," Gus yelled up the stairs.

Brian groaned as he released his hold on Justin's hot little body. "To be continued, Sunshine," he warned Justin.

The men got up together and headed downstairs. Brian went to the dining room and helped JR finish setting the table. She looked over at him with uncharacteristic shyness when he first entered the room, but there was none of the negative attitude in her face any more.

Justin joined Gus in the kitchen and the two of them got everything ready to take to the dining room. Once everything was in place, the family of four sat down and began filling their plates. The silence was not awkward at all. Except for an occasional shy glance from JR or a patient look from Gus at Daddy Brian, everyone spent the next half hour enjoying their meal. When everyone had finished their plates, Justin started to rise to clear off the table. Brian reached over and grabbed his arm. "Justin, will you wait a minute. I have something to say," Brian started. All eyes turned to Brian. "I want to apologize first and foremost to every one of you. I know I've been a shit lately and I'm really sorry. You can ask Justin, I don't do changes very well and this is the biggest change in my life. I loved Mel and Linds and I love you guys. I was really afraid I wouldn't be able to handle giving you the life you deserve and it made me panic and act like a real asshole. I really hope you kids will forgive me and give me a second chance. I promise to do my best and you can kick my ass if I screw up too bad."

Brian got it all out as quick as he could, as if he was afraid that words would fail him if he hesitated. But now he sat back in his chair and waited for the fall out.

The kids looked at each other the same way they did when Justin had finished speaking to them. Again there was a silent communication between the siblings. Gus was the first to speak up.

We'll forgive you if you'll promise never to run out on us again, whether physical or emotional. We need you, Dad. We trust you. You take care of us and we'll take care of you." He looked over at Justin. "We'll do it together. We're a family... the real thing too."

Justin had never been more proud of Gus. When JR saw the way things were going, and the huge smiles on the faces of the men in her life, she let out a girlish shriek.

"Whoo hoo! Now that that's settled, who's for some dessert?" JR got up from the table and skipped over to Brian's chair. She gave him a sloppy kiss on his head and moved off to the kitchen. "Who wants ice cream with their pie?" she yelled back behind her.

The men looked at each other and burst out laughing. Justin looked over at Brian and the two men exchanged winks. They knew that tough times would probably be ahead of them but now they were one again... partners... parents, and they would make it. They were sure of that. Tomorrow was another day. They were finally ready to look forward, not backward any more.

To be continued....


	7. Saying Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus and JR must bid a reluctant farewell to Toronto and the home they've known and loved since very early childhood.

Gus was most definitely not looking forward to today. Everything in his old house was packed up for transport, sold, or given away and now it was time to say good bye to his best friend, Heather. The teens had grown up next door to each other for such a long time and he adored her. He remembered Justin talking about his best friend from school, Daphne, and Gus figured that his relationship with Heather was probably very similar. She was the one person in the world that he trusted wholeheartedly. She knew more about his feelings and emotions than his own parents did. And now they were going to be separated by Countries. It really sucked, big time.

Heather had made it clear that their friendship was far from over. She had every intention of bugging the hell out of him every chance she got online and their phone calls just might put poor Brian in the poor house. But for now, Gus had to suck it up and go next door to say his farewells. His dad and DJ, his brand new nickname for Daddy Justin, had let the kids know that they wanted to get an early start back to Pittsburgh so he didn't have much time left. Gus headed for the front door, passing his sister who was sitting on the living room floor cross legged with her new cell phone (a gift from Grandma Debbie and Daddy Michael) pressed tightly to her ear.

JR had spent the rest of her time in Toronto saying her good byes to the dozens of friends that she had. Now she was in the throes of her final good bye to her best friend, Angie. The girls had cried a river of tears over being separated, but Angie was also excited at the prospect of getting to visit her friend in Pittsburgh this coming Summer. Her mother had been reluctant to agree but Brian had promised to pay all expenses and had used his considerable charm to convince the woman that the girls would be totally safe. Angie now believed JR when she said that Brian could talk an Eskimo into buying a freezer for his igloo.

JR waved a casual good bye to Gus as he headed for the front door. She knew he was having a hard time bidding farewell to Heather. Sometimes she was even jealous of her neighbor since she knew her brother told the girl everything, including a lot of stuff that he never even told his own sister. But she also liked Heather a lot because the neighbor had always included her in a lot of the play the kids did together, even when JR was so little that she was more a pest than a play companion. The truth was that she'd miss Heather too. She made a mental note to run over and say goodbye too as soon as she could.

Meanwhile Gus headed out the door and crossed the wide lawn that separated his old home from Heather's. She must have anticipated his arrival because the door flew open just as he reached the porch steps. Heather came running out of the door and flung her arms around Gus's neck, almost knocking him to the ground.

"What took you so long? I've been waiting for you forever. Oh geez Gus-Gus, I'm going to miss you so bad," she cried.

Gus was touched, hearing his friend use her childhood nickname for him. His mom had sat them down in front of the DVD player one day when they had first become friends and played the Disney movie "Cinderella". Ever since then Heather had called him Gus-Gus after the mouse in the movie. It was just one of the many happy memories he had of his best friend. Gus squeezed Heather even tighter as he thought of their past friendship. What the hell was he going to do without her, he wondered to himself. He had lots of friends, but only one person that he felt close to and confided in...and now she was going to be miles and miles away.

Gus finally pulled back and set Heather back on her feet. She looked up at him teary-eyed. He leaned in sideways to give her a little peck on the cheek. In that split second Heather turned her face to the side so that their lips met. She pressed her lips firmly to Gus's mouth. Almost instantly the startled teen pulled back. He stood there with surprise written all over his face.

Heather blushed from ear to ear. "I'm sooo sorry Gus. I don't know what came over me." She watched her friend stand there open-mouthed and speechless. "You can close your mouth now."

Gus slammed his mouth shut. In all the years he'd known Heather there had never been a hint of romance between them. Oh, he was a smart boy so he was well aware of the rumors. Even his moms thought there was something special between the kids. Well there was something special...but it had nothing to do with romance. Truthfully, Gus had never felt anything romantic for any gal so far. He adored girls, but he figured he just hadn't found the right one yet, since none of the terrific gals he knew made him feel all hot and bothered. It made it convenient for him that everyone thought Heather was his special girlfriend so that nobody would bug him about finding Miss Right. For some reason, it had felt really wrong when Heather tricked him into kissing her but he wouldn't hurt her for the world.

"I'm sorry too Heddy. You just caught me by surprise, that's all," he stammered out. The worried frown on the girl's face faded and she smiled back up at the tall teen.

"Well, I kinda figured if I didn't give you a smack now I might never get the chance. You know, make you see what you've missed out on by not pursuing me all these years." She laughed out loud and Gus joined in, even though he was feeling vaguely uncomfortable.

For the next hour the teens went to Heather's room and looked through old class books and reminisced about their good times together. By the time Gus knew it was time to get back to the house, he felt at ease with his best friend again and the two of them went out to the porch to say their final good byes. Gus was extremely relieved when there was no repeat of the sneak attack kiss when he pecked Heather on the cheek and she pecked him back. A final squeeze and Gus ran back to his house, waving behind him.

*************************************

Brian and Justin had finally returned from the lawyer's office and were obviously satisfied with all the results from the arrangements that had been made. Once the house sold, the proceeds would go directly into a trust fund equally divided between the two kids. The men had consulted with the teens on what they had wanted to keep for themselves and had already had those things shipped to their house in Pittsburgh. The kids were allowed to give away some things to the people they knew would either appreciate the things or that they knew their moms would want the person to have. All the other items left over had been housed at a well known auction house in the city. Once the sales were completed the lawyers would add that money to the teen's trust fund.

The wrecked vehicle had been fully insured so the lawyers had made arrangements for the settlement money on it to go into the trust fund too, but the Jeep was going back to Pittsburgh with the family. Gus had learned how to drive with the Jeep and the men had decided he should keep it. It would make a good graduation gift and the boy would need it for when he entered college next year. While Brian and Justin checked the Jeep out and made sure it had all the things packed in it that they wanted to take with them, Gus and JR took one last tour around their home that they would probably never see again from the inside.

JR stood in the empty room with the pale pink walls that had been her sanctuary for so long. The place looked so sad with none of the colorful stuffed animals and rock posters that had lain on shelves and been tacked on walls. The room had seen a lot of tears and heard plenty of laughter and silly girlish chatter. JR had mooned over many a young man on that very spot where her canopy bed had once sat. Over in the corner was the dark spot that she had never been able to remove where she had spilled the purple candle wax on the dark pink carpet a few years ago. She had been warned never to have a lit candle in her room and so she had used the heavy dresser to cover the offending spot so that her moms wouldn't realize her mistake. She had tried really hard to remove all the wax but she didn't dare ask them how to do it and after awhile she'd forgotten all about it. The day they moved the dresser, JR had seen the wax and burst out crying. Luckily no one caught her so she didn't have to explain. She was going to miss this room, but it was time to move on. JR liked adventure as much as anyone, so she sucked it up and went back downstairs to join her new parents.

Gus had checked out the whole house, each room flooding him with memories, but he saved his own bedroom for last. His room had a light tan color to both the walls and carpeting. It wasn't because the lad was boring...it was because he had eclectic tastes and he needed a neutral background that wouldn't clash with his various tastes. He had an artistic eye and he had divided up his four walls to display the many different things that interested him. One whole wall was filled with photos of famous athletes like Greg Louganis, the Olympic diver, and Bryan Clay, the Olympic decathlon medalist, and Andre Agassi, the Olympic tennis player. Another wall had displayed Gus's personal art work, while the wall across from it displayed copies of some of the master's works of art. The fourth wall held an array of family photos in beautiful frames, many of which Gus had designed himself. All the items were packed away neatly and on their way to his new home.

Gus stood in his doorway and remembered fondly all the talks he had with his mom, Lindsay. She had been a huge influence on him, encouraging his artistic pursuits. She never gushed when he would show her a drawing he had made. She would critique it like a professional and he appreciated that immensely. It helped him feel like she respected his work. She was never judgmental and Gus always felt protected and loved with her. He loved his mom, Mel too, but she was a busy lady and didn't have near as much time to share as Lindsay did. But what Gus loved best about Mama Mel was that she never showed favoritism between JR and him. She made it clear she loved both kids equally and that endeared her to Gus tremendously.

Thinking about his mothers again brought the tears back to Gus's eyes and threatened to spill over. Gus felt that familiar hot lump in his throat and tightness in his chest that he always felt now when he thought of Mel and Linds. He wondered if it would ever go away. Just then he heard his name being called from downstairs.

"Gus, get a move on. We need to get started!"

It was his dad, Brian. Gus gave his head a firm shake and took a last look, trying to burn the sight into his mind forever. He wiped his eyes dry and headed back downstairs. Brian stood at the bottom waiting for his son to come down. When Gus reached the final step, Brian threw his arm around his beloved son's shoulder.

"I know it's hard to leave the memories behind, Son, but you'll never lose them. I promise. And we'll do our best to make new ones for you that you'll love just as much. You'll make a ton of new friends and then finish school and head off to college. You'll make your mom's proud. I have no doubt of that."

Gus leaned over and gave Brian a small peck on his cheek.

"I know Dad. Let's go."

With that the two slender, tall, and look-alike men walked out to the driveway where the handsome blond man and pretty brunette teenager waited patiently. Both of them took a deep breath and smiled as they saw Brian and Gus walking towards them. They reflected on father and son and marveled at how much alike they were and how happy there were that the two guys were in their lives.

Justin was the first to speak. "Shall we get this show on the road?"

Brian laughed and threw his other arm around Justin. He squeezed his two favorite men together, leaving just enough room for his new daughter to join in. The four of them stood hugging until Brian broke loose and tossed the keys to the Jeep to his son.

"Let's roll, Sonnyboy!" Brian saw the grin spread slowly over Gus's face as he realized what his dad was telling him. Justin and JR took their places in the back seat while Brian scooted into the passenger seat of the Jeep. Gus took one last look at his old home and then hurried into the driver's seat. He started up the engine and felt a twinge of nervousness mixed with excitement as it roared into life. He pulled out of the driveway for the last time and pointed the vehicle towards their new home...his and his little sister's, where the future was uncertain but exciting. He was looking forward to seeing all the gang from Pittsburgh again and his birthplace. He was looking forward to making new friends and seeing what the future held in store for him. He was sorry to let the past go, but it was time. He said one last goodbye to the past and drove off towards the future.

To be continued.......


	8. Back Home in the Pitts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus and JR must get reacquainted with old friends and family in their hometown, Pittsburgh, and start getting ready for their first day at the new school, St. James Academy.

It was pitch black outside in the starless sky when the exhausted foursome pulled up into the drive in front of the huge two-story building that would be the teen's new address. Gus and JR probably would have been in awe of the size of the place if they hadn't been so tired that they could barely keep their eyes open. Justin was doubly glad now that he had ordered the movers to set up all the furniture in the kid's rooms with the expert guidance of Ted and Emmett. At least the kids could go straight to sleep in their own beds tonight.

The three hundred and twenty plus mile trip from Toronto to the Pitts had been largely uneventful. Gus had spent the first two hours joyfully behind the wheel of the Jeep but finally admitted to needing a break. Brian then took over. JR spent most of her time chatting away on her cell phone, describing any sight that caught her eye and proclaiming that she would never forget whichever friend she had on the line at the time. Justin couldn't help noticing that Gus had pulled out a large sketch pad from a back pack he carried when not driving. Gus began drawing with a concentrated effort that reminded Justin of another young man more than a dozen years ago.

There had been frequent stops along the way to accommodate JR's need for bathroom breaks and Gus' need for the stretching of limbs, but it wasn't until dark set in before the teens had both settled in the back seat and finally drifted off to dreamland, leaving Brian and Justin alone in the front seat. Justin leaned over and rested his head on Brian's broad shoulder, thus blocking the view of the front seat from young eyes.

He looked up at Brian and gave his best Sunshine smile. "Well, Daddy Brian, are you ready to begin the next phase of your grown up life?"

Brian reached over with his free hand and pinched Justin on the thigh, causing a small yelp from his lover. "I am if you are, Daddy Justin... or should I call you DJ now?" Brian answered back.

Justin began rubbing his slightly sore leg and then slowly moved his hand over to the left until it found itself laying on Brian's thigh instead. The brunet looked over at Justin who looked back with the most innocent grin he could muster, and then proceeded to continue the rubbing motion on Brian's leg.

The sound of deep breathing in the back of the jeep gave Justin the impetus to continue his ministrations to Brian's upper thigh. Snuggling a little closer, he let his hand stray further to the center of Brian's jeans. Very, very quietly, he single-handedly unzipped Brian's pants and, using the light from the dashboard, fished out the prize he was seeking. With his right hand, Justin removed a small washcloth that he had stashed in his pants pocket in case of emergencies on the trip. He transferred the cloth to Brian's leg and went back to concentrating on the beautiful shaft that he now had engulfed in his left hand. He began slowly pumping his hand up and down the hardening cock, keeping a wary eye on Brian's reaction. When he saw his lover begin to take rapid shallow breaths and start to squirm in his seat, Justin threw the cloth over his hand and cock and sped up his manipulations. Several minutes later, Brian let out a barely audible groan and jerked his hips forward in a tightly controlled movement.

Justin felt the heat on his hand as he leaned over to use his right hand to pull the cloth away, carrying Brian's release with it. He continued to gently hold onto Brian's cock as it slowly sank back to normal size. When he could tell, from vast experience, that Brian's body had calmed down completely, he released his hold on Brian, tucked him back into his pants, and zipped them back up. Justin sat up, wiped his still damp hand, and tucked the cloth under the seat. He could hear Brian chuckling next to him. He leaned his head back onto Brian's shoulder. Brian put his arm around the blond and drew him as close as he could.

"That was hot," he whispered appreciatively. It amazed him how Justin could still turn him on in a matter of seconds by just touching him, even after nearly twenty years. It was unbelievable, but so true.

"You're welcome," came Justin's reply.

Brian leaned in for a quick kiss before getting his eyes back on the road.

That was the highlight of the trip as far as Brian and Justin were concerned, but now they were home. It was time to get settled in as quickly as possible, get a good night's sleep, and get ready for a brand new day and a new life. They only had one day to get the kids ready to enter their new school, St. James Academy.

********************************************************************************

Brian and Justin were thrilled to be home in their own beds after sleeping in a guest room for so long. They had spread out in luxury on their king size mattress with the odd looking headboard that was a cross between lattice work and small figures of tigers in various places with iron rings dangling from the necks. Brian had lain there admiring the naked beauty of his husband and then shown his appreciation for the next hour for the helpful hand Justin had given him earlier. Fully sated, the two men collapsed together in each others’ arms and fell into a deep sleep.

The sound of loud knocking on the bedroom door finally roused both Brian and Justin from their pleasant dreams.

"Dad! DJ! Are you guys ever getting up? It's almost noon," Gus' voice shouted through the closed door.

Brian, always the first to become alert, shouted back. "Yeah, yeah! Just give us a little time to get it together. Why don't you and your sister explore the place a little? We'll see you downstairs in a jiff."

"Okay! Any place off limits?" Gus asked

Justin sleepily glanced at Brian who got a wicked grin on his face. "Just our liquor and porn cabinet," Brian responded. Justin punched him in the shoulder which gave Brian an excuse to wrap his arms around his lover and pin him to the bed.

The two men posed in this position as they heard Gus muttering something unintelligible through the door and move away down the hall. Justin stuck his tongue out at Brian, giving the bigger man a chance to lean down and grab the tempting flesh between his teeth in a gentle nip. Brian's lips followed and he planted his mouth firmly onto Justin's. Within seconds, the two men were breathing delicious fire into each others’ mouths and melting their bodies together. Ten minutes later, their quickie mutual jerk off was complete and the men headed for their custom built shower stall. Fifteen minutes of mutual soaping down and cleansing with an occasional kiss here and there, and the men stepped out of the shower and rubbed each other down.

Finally they were dressed and headed down the curving staircase that led from the second floor to the large foyer of the vast house. The ten foot high windows, that ran all along the circular outer wall of the entrance-way, stood open to the sun which streamed into the room, giving a warm and inviting feeling to the occupants. The house was built with two separate wings, the East and the West of the house, and the men could hear laughter coming from the East wing. The living and entertainment room was on that side, along with the library, so they headed in that direction.

Justin opened the closed living room door and found Gus and JR perched on opposite ends of Brian's brand new $15,000 Italian leather sofa. They had obviously found the kitchen since they carried plates of sandwiches and grapes on their knees. Brian, coming in just behind Justin, had to swallow his dismay when he saw the precarious way the teens had set their open coke bottles on the edge of the glass topped coffee table. He wasn't so much concerned for the coffee table as he was his luxurious deep piled all white wall-to-wall rug that had seen many a winter's night of hot fucking in front of the vast fireplace that served as the central piece in the room. Brian and Justin had long ago gotten into the habit of removing their shoes when entering the room and both kids sat with their sneakers propped up on the sofa.

Hmmmm, looked like it was time to begin laying down a few rules. The phrase brought frowns from the teens, but they nodded their heads in agreement with each new instruction that Brian gave them. After warning them that he might think of a few more rules as time went on, which elicited groans from the teens, the whole group headed back to the West wing where the kitchen was located.

Gus and JR had been awed by the modernity of the large kitchen. All the shiny chrome and glass cabinets and appliances took their breath away. The place looked like it belonged in the 22nd century. When Brian saw how impressed they were he threw his arm around Justin's shoulder and said, "DJ, here, likes to cook a lot so I had to make sure he had all the latest gadgets. You'll never starve with him around," he added proudly.

Justin blushed slightly and then made sure the kids had found everything they needed. He went to the counter and began making coffee for Brian and himself while the kids explained what they'd already found. The kids sat down at the wrap around bar that housed the oven and stovetop, while Justin began to make an egg white omelette for Brian on one burner while preparing a ham and cheese omelette for himself on the other. He moved with the ease of a man who had done this hundreds of times before. The kids still had half their sandwiches on their plates when Justin plated the omelettes, adding a few grapes to the side, and sat down with Brian next to them.

The foursome ate in comfortable silence for a bit and then sat back with their drinks and coffee to discuss the things that needed to be done to get them ready for their first day at the new school.

Justin informed the kids that they would have to wear a school uniform, which didn't go over well with JR who was proud of her individual style and wore it whenever her mothers had allowed her to get away with it. Gus just nodded. Clothes had never been a big issue with him... a trait he definitely did not inherit from his father.

Ted had acted as emissary and taken the necessary faxed application signed by Brian to the St. James Academy, so the teens were already enrolled... JR in the 8th grade and Gus in the 12th grade. They made plans to go shopping and get the necessary uniform and supplies that the kids would need on their first day. They also wanted to visit with as many folks as they could before the day was over. Gus had informed the men that Michael had called while they slept and invited them all to his place for dinner and to see Ben and most especially Grandma Debbie.

Everyone agreed that it sounded like a good plan. Justin started clearing up the kitchen, making sure the teens knew that they always were expected to clean up after themselves, even though they had a delightful cleaning lady who came in three days a week and on special weekends. The teens exchanged a look. They knew Brian and Justin had money because he was always sending big checks to their mothers, but they now realized that any ideas they had about leading the life of a spoiled rich kid wasn't realistic thinking. They shrugged and then headed for their rooms to gather the things they wanted to take with them for the day.

*****************************************************************

By the time the Jeep had pulled into the circular driveway behind Brian's brand new 2017 'Vette, it was nearly ten o'clock. Gus and JR had finally run out of energy and were now anxious to get in the house and start putting up their vast array of new purchases and welcome home gifts that everyone had so generously bestowed upon them. Everything had run smoothly, much to Brian's relief. The teens had stuck pretty close together in all the strange places and the kids had a blast seeing old friends and family, many of whom they hadn't seen in quite awhile.

JR was especially thrilled with her visit to Uncle Em's house. All the vivid colors and wild decorations tickled her girlish funny bone. Gus had rolled his eyes a couple of times during Em's enthusiastic tour, but never when the beloved entrepreneur could see it. Walking into Uncle Ted and Uncle Blake's home was like culture shock... the place was the complete opposite of Uncle Em's. The old married couple lived in a comfortable and tastefully furnished condo with classical music playing quietly in the background. They were far more sedate in their greetings and didn't indulge in an overall tour of their abode, but the teens were happy to see them just as much.

The biggest thrill of the night was when they finally arrived at Daddy Michael's house. The old two-story brownstone, that rested comfortably in the middle of an obviously family oriented neighborhood, was warm and welcoming with lots of Early American furniture, mixed oddly with plenty of oriental pieces, and a few quirky touches (like a velvet Elvis), that Gus instinctively knew belonged to Grandma Debbie. The kids felt a little disconcerted when they saw how tired and old their Gram looked. She had always been such a vibrant part of their lives, but she engulfed them one at a time in the same loving bosomy embrace that they remembered so fondly from their younger years.

DM, their new name for Daddy Michael, had proudly shown the kids the spare room in the house which they had fixed up so that the kids could take turns visiting any time they wanted to. JR was particularly thrilled since it had obviously been set up to please a young girl more than a boy. There was little rivalry between the teens most of the time but JR did feel a little possessive of Michael and Ben.

Dinner had been a lively affair, but both Ben and Debbie had retired to their rooms a little early with lots of apologies. The rest of the evening had been spent in the downstairs den with Michael bringing Brian and Justin up to date on the health situation for the two most important people in his life while the teens rummaged through old photo albums full of family snapshots. It tickled them to see that there were lots of photos of the extended family too. They laughed the hardest when staring at the gangley figures of their two dads as children, even younger than the teens were now. By nine-thirty, it became obvious that the kids needed to get to bed.

Once the kids were home, they headed straight for their rooms with their goodies. After a half hour Justin had gone to the head of the stairs and shouted up a reminder that they had fifteen minutes to be ready for bed. Fifteen minutes, to the second, later and the men could hear the sound of young legs racing down the stairs. Both teens jockeyed for position to enter the living room door at the same time and, after a brief tussle, JR popped out first and headed straight for Brian. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a wet one firmly on his cheek.

"Night, Daddy Bri. Thanks for everything!" she gushed.

Gus followed close behind and pecked his dad on the top of his head while JR gave Justin the same treatment she had just planted on Brian.

"Night, Dad," Gus told Brian. "It was a great day and we really are glad to be here."

Despite himself, Brian puffed up a bit and felt a feeling of fatherly pride he didn't experience that often. He saw Justin giving him an amused look and gave him his best raised eyebrow warning. The kids missed the exchange and turned to race back to the stairs, daring each other to be the first one to bed.

In minutes the house had that comfortable silence the men were familiar with. They relished the peace and quiet, knowing it wouldn't last long come morning. The first day as new parents had been successful. No one had a meltdown and both kids were still alive and kicking. The new full time dads were satisfied. Hopefully all the days would go so well in the future. Only time would tell.

To be continued..........


	9. Getting to Know St. James

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first day at their new school and both Gus and JR have made new friends, Jason and Bridget, who just happen to be siblings too.

Gus and JR walked into St. James Academy with confidence, followed by Brian and Justin who seemed more nervous than they were. Of course, the teens could have no idea of the bad memories that the place brought to mind for DJ, and even DB didn't like the feelings the place invoked in him (JR loved nicknames and thought it only fitting that the dads have initials just like her). Both of the men were hoping that the teens would make a bunch of happy new memories for them to enjoy. Neither of the young ones had ever had a problem fitting in, wherever they ventured, so they were quite certain that St. James would just be another place for them to conquer.

Brian and Justin spent an hour getting acclimated to the school system and what was going to be expected of them as parents. While they chatted with the school counselor, a fussy looking assistant principal with hair piled thick in a unflattering bun at the nape of her neck had called two young people over to her and assigned them to Gus and JR. She gave instructions in an authoritative voice that brooked no argument. A pleasant looking youth of indeterminate age and a bothersome looking case of acne was assigned to show Gus where his classes were and introduce him to his new teachers. JR was the recipient of a bubbly blonde who looked and acted eerily like a light haired version of JR. The young teen with Gus stopped outside the office and thrust his hand out with a big ol' grin on his face. Gus gave the boys hand a hearty shake.

"Hey, Gus Marcus-Peterson. Good to meet ya. The name's Thomas G. Cockrell, but everyone just calls me Tommy... Oh, and the G stands for genius, but I can't help it. I was born that way." Tommy gave a huge chuckle that was truly infectious and Gus couldn't help sharing in the laugh. He felt extremely lucky to be paired with this kid on his first day. Tommy checked the note pad he carried and did a quick turn towards the right side of the main hallway. He pointed down the corridor. "This way, Kemo Sabe, to your first thrilling class of the day."

"Lead on, o guide of mine," Gus responded.

Meanwhile, JR's pretty young blonde guide introduced herself as Bridget Tyler, better known as Gidget to her friends. Gus and Tommy could hear the two girls giggling and chattering away in the time honored tradition of two thirteen year old girls who had formed an instant rapport. By the time Brian had his check book out and was handing over the first of the many huge checks the teens were going to need from him, both teens were entering their first period classrooms at their new school.

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Gus stepped into the large airy room filled with the usual row after row of desks with a much larger desk standing squarely in front of the center rows. Almost every desk was filled with a wide variety of faces, all looking up at the stranger who had just entered. Tommy stepped away from Gus and moved to the teacher's desk, where she sat with her head buried in an attendance sheet. The elderly-looking wisp of a woman was obviously near sighted, even with her glasses on. She stopped in the middle of calling a name and greeted Tommy.

Mrs. Bridges may have looked a little shaky, but she had a cheery disposition. "Well well, Mr. Cockrell, what have we here," she asked, pointing to Gus. Tommy motioned Gus over to him and then introduced him to his World Geography teacher. Mrs. Bridges was impressed with her new student's demeanor right away. The fresh faced lad had the look of intelligence about him and a smile that warmed the old girl's heart. She indicated an empty desk very close to the front and asked Gus to claim it. The young man walked confidently to his seat, taking in the faces of as many of his fellow students as he could while reaching it. The low level hum of curious voices came to an abrupt halt when their teacher spoke up. "Young ladies and gentlemen," Mrs. Bridges began, "we have the pleasure of a new student today. His name is…" She took a quick look at the slip of paper Tommy had handed her before seating himself..."Gustave Marcus-Peterson. He comes to us from Toronto, Canada and I'm sure you'll want to make him feel as welcome as you can."

There were a few nods and murmurs of assent and the class settled down. Mrs. Bridges continued her roll call and the next fifty minutes were spent exploring the names of countries with ever changing borders. Gus could feel the appreciative stares of girls behind him because he was quite used to it. He was wishing he'd been seated further back... not because he wanted to be inconspicuous, but so that he could study some of his fellow students a little better. When the first period bell rang, everyone hurriedly gathered up their things and headed for the door. Tommy joined Gus and the two were the last to leave the room, giving Mrs. Bridges their best smiles as they passed which warmed the old girl's heart quite a bit.

Once they were in the hall, the boys were surrounded by a group of students full of questions, such as where in the world did Gus get the name Gustave. He laughingly straightened them out on what to call him and was greeted by giggles and grins by the mostly female gathering. The second period warning bell brought an abrupt end to any more questions as the students scattered to their respective classes. Tommy grabbed Gus' arm and dragged him to his next class, English Lit. The same scenario happened for third period P.E. with Gus signing up for the school's swim team.

The rest of Gus' day went just as smoothly as it started... well, except for one slightly disturbing incident between third and fourth period. Tommy was dragging Gus along to his Business Economics class, which happened to be just past the entrance to the large well outfitted gym, when a group of five muscular looking boys burst through the double doors to the cavernous room. The lead boy ran smack into Gus, nearly knocking him to the ground. He stumbled into Tommy behind him which caused Gus to then bounce forward. Gus reached out to steady himself and ended up almost pulling the six footer down to the ground with him.

"Hey, jerk, let go!" the kid yelled.

The other boys behind the offended stranger had moved forward to keep both boys from falling. A red haired lad spoke up first.

"Whoa, Terry. Chill, man. It was an accident."

The big kid named Terry didn't look any calmer. He pushed his face close to Gus' and ordered him to watch where he was going next time. He then turned and strode purposefully down the hall, followed by the other boys in his group. Gus noticed that one particularly good looking dark haired boy, much smaller than the others, was the only one who turned around as if to check that the stranger was okay. Gus felt Tommy grab hold of his arm again and start to steer him onward. 

"Pay no attention to that bunch," he told Gus. "Those guys are part of our illustrious wrestling team. They think their shit doesn't stink ever since they won the regional championship for the school for the first time in decades. Most of them like to throw their weight around. That Terry White kid is the worst of the bunch, though. Likes to think he's a ladies man and all but most of the gals can't stand him. Anyway, we're here."

They had come to a stop in front of a classroom so the conversation ended. Gus made a mental note to avoid Terry White in the future. He had a feeling the two of them wouldn't make fast friends. Gus couldn't help but wonder who the dark haired kid with the movie star looks was. He didn't look as rough around the edges as the other guys in the group. Before he could think about it anymore, Tommy was introducing Gus to Mr. Baxter, his Business Ec. teacher. Mr. Baxter was all business and as fussy as an IRS agent on an audit. Gus tried hard to concentrate on his lesson, but the dark eyes of a certain black haired teen kept popping up in his mind. It was kind of weird to Gus because nothing like that had ever happened to him before. There had been a lot of people, both gals and guys, that Gus had admired and been good friends with, but nothing like this. Gus REALLY wanted to know the mysterious boy's name and get a chance to know him. Fourth period flew by and Gus found himself the center of attention after class again. The kids scattered once more when they heard the next period bell ringing. Gus was dragged off to his fifth period class by Tommy. They had just stepped into Mr. Ramone's Geometry class when Gus noticed the antagonistic wrestler, Terry, perched on the edge of his desk and talking to a group of several husky teen boys who seemed fascinated by whatever he was saying. Before Gus could reach the teacher's desk, he saw that Terry had spotted him entering the classroom.

Gus felt immediately uncomfortable by the hard stare the boy gave him but his attention was drawn to Mr. Ramone, who was indicating a seat near the rear for Gus to use. He had to go down the same aisle that Terry's desk was on and he couldn't help noticing the nasty glare the guy gave him as he passed by. He was very relieved that there were three desks between his and Terry's spots. The rest of the class was totally uneventful, even though there was a slight snicker from Terry and the boy next to him when the teacher was introducing Gus by his full name. No big deal, thought Gus, since it happened all the time.

Gus was very glad that Terry was long gone from the hallway when he exited the fifth period class. He was excited to get to his last class of the day. It was his elective which was Graphic Design. He had loved the class in Toronto and looked forward to it more than any other. This was where he and Tommy parted ways. Tommy went with Gus to the class, introduced him to Mr. Fred Hinkle, his teacher, and then headed off for his Drama class.

Gus noticed that every student had a computer in from of them. There was only one desk that was empty. As he scanned the room he noticed, much to his delight, that the student he had admired a while back was sitting in the seat right next to the empty one. Mr. Hinkle introduced Gus to the class and then indicated the empty desk as his. Gus moved down the row of desks and slid into his seat. He turned to his left and smiled at the teen next to him. The boy smiled back.

Somewhere during the next hour, the dark haired youth introduced himself to Gus as Jason Tyler. The rest of the class hour went by much too fast in Gus' opinion. Gus enjoyed the teacher, who was full of good ideas and was very good at expressing them. His fellow classmates seemed to enjoy the class a lot too, and the best part was knowing that Jason was in his class. Gus had no idea why this stranger had made such an impact on him, but he just knew that the two of them were going to be really good friends. He felt really lucky, because he had met two new fellows that he felt at ease with and sensed that he would be good friends with. This was shaping up into a great day.

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JR and Gidget had headed off to the opposite side of the massive campus of St. James where the middle school classrooms were located. JR had thrown a perfunctory wave to her brother's back as he was dragged away down the hall and then concentrated on where she was going. She had taken an instant liking to the petite girl beside her. If their hair coloring had been the same they could have passed as sisters easily. There was something infectious about both of them with their animated mannerisms and friendly smiles.

JR spent the whole day going from class to class with her new best friend and learning the names of her teachers and classmates. As she always did at home in Toronto, she made a great impression on almost everyone and soon found herself the center of attention in every class. Her favorite class was PFD (Personal Family Development). She had taken a similar class in Toronto but had to leave before they reached the stage of having an automated baby doll to care for. She was hoping that she hadn't missed it at St. James and was pleased to find out that they would reach that stage of the lessons by the end of the month. JR was definitely her father's daughter. She had the same nurturing attitude as Michael.

JR had made plans to meet Gidget at the front entrance of the main drive, where DB and DJ were supposed to pick the kids up. Gidget had told her new friend that she had a brother who was a Senior and that he always gave her a ride home, but she really wanted the chance to see JR's two dads again. They were kind of old but awfully good looking. Gidget was probably the only girl in town who could out flirt JR and she didn't want to miss this golden opportunity to make an impression on JR’s parents.

JR and Gidget were standing at the top of the concrete steps leading to the parking lot when they heard Gus calling to his sister from the grassy knoll, yards away from them. A few feet away from Gus, another voice was yelling out for Gidge. All three teens turned in the direction of the second voice and Gidget waved to the handsome boy who was waving wildly at her. Gus hurried over to where his sis was standing with the young girl who had been assigned to her for orientation. He noticed that the other boy was doing the same. The two boys pulled up beside the younger girls almost simultaneously. They were both a little out of breath from rushing over. JR stood on tippy-toes to plant a kiss on her brother's cheek.

"Hey Gus! So how'd it go?" she asked.

"Fine, kiddo," came the reply. "I see you still have your guide. I lost mine during final period."

Gus stuck out his hand to the blonde. "Hi, my name's Gus. You remember from earlier?"

Gidget was thinking, 'Who would forget,' but just took the older boy's hand and answered, "of course." She turned to the boy standing next to Gus and said, "and this is my brother, Jason. Say hi, Jason."

Jason gave a wide grin and pulled one of his sister's pig tails. "We've met, shrimp."

The next twenty minutes was spent with the four teens getting to know each other a little better while Gus and JR waited for their dads to pick them up. Gus was in no hurry to see the men arrive and it looked like JR shared his sentiments. She found Jason to be ultra cute and couldn't help flirting with him in her most coy manner possible. Gus was embarrassed by his little sister's behavior but was relieved to see that Jason was taking it well in stride. He rolled his eyes once over the heads of the shorter girls which brought a small laugh out of Gus. JR's head whipped around to see what was so amusing, but didn't catch the silent exchange between the boys.

By the time Brian and Justin drove up to the curb to pick the teens up, Gus and JR had invited the other pair of siblings to their house. When they spotted the jeep, Gus and JR ran over to it followed close behind by Jason and Gidget. Introductions were made all around and then JR started batting her eyes and pleading for the men to allow a visit from their new friends. Justin liked what he saw when he looked into the faces of the kids so he agreed readily after consulting Brian for his opinion. Brian deferred to Justin and a time was set for a get together on Friday after school, with the Tyler parent's approval of course.

Both of the older men noticed how animated the teens were all the way home. Over dinner, expertly prepared by Justin after a busy day working on a commissioned piece in his studio, the dads got an earful of the exciting adventures of the young one's first day at their new school. Justin got a tiny bit nostalgic when hearing some of the descriptions of classrooms and such, especially when Gus mentioned Mrs. Bridges. Justin remembered his World Geography teacher quite well and was amazed that she was still at St. James. She had looked retirement age in 2000, when Justin was in her class. This made Gus laugh and he told DJ how she still looked the same.

Justin would have been a bit less nostalgic and a little more unhappy if Gus had mentioned his little run in with the stocky wrestler, Terry, but he thought it wise to keep that to himself. After all, it was surely just a one time thing and he felt no need to worry the guys. Besides, he had better things to talk about... such as the other wrestler who was in the welter weight division of the wrestling team. Both Brian and Justin caught on to how enthusiastic their teens were while talking about the Tyler siblings and realized that they would probably be seeing a lot more of the duo.

That night, Brian and Justin snuggled closely together and expressed their relief that the teens had obviously enjoyed their first day at St. James and were already making good friends. Some of the fears that they had been secretly harboring over how well the kids would adjust to their new environment started to fade away and they kissed tenderly in their satisfaction with the day's events. As their kiss began to deepen, they each sent up thanks to whatever powers that be for the way things were progressing.

Gus and JR lay in their separate beds reflecting on the days events too. The last thought they both had of as they drifted off to sleep was of a dark eyed, dark haired, beautiful young man named Jason.

To be continued...........


	10. Looking Forward to the Holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus and JR are looking forward to the Christmas holidays and a skiing trip to Vermont with their Dads and friends Jason and Bridget. Gus has more run ins with fellow student Terry.

Gus gulped down his orange juice and grabbed the freshly made croissant from the top of the oven, all in one swift move. It amazed Justin how eagerly the boy would rush out of the house to get to school. But then so did JR, who was already standing at the front door waiting for her big brother. Justin could hear the sound of a car horn in the driveway as he walked from the kitchen toward the front of the house. He was amused at the way both teens wrestled for control of the doorknob and the chance to get it open and rush out to the drive. Justin was well aware that Jason was the object of all the excitement. He knew JR had a big crush on the boy and that Gus was in love with Jason's vehicle, a mint condition 2007 Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin in a bright cherry red color. The car was ten years old but one would never know. Even in the freezing cold weather that they were experiencing in the Pitts right now, you could see Gus and Jason out in the drive giving the car a loving rub down and cleaning every weekend. Sometimes the two younger sisters would join their brothers, unless they were out at the mall.

It had been a month and a half since the teens had moved in with DB and DJ, and life had quickly settled into a comfortable routine. Brian's company, Kinnetik, was doing record business. He had sold Babylon for a hefty profit when he had gotten back together with Justin for good so that he could concentrate on Kinnetik and the man he loved... not that the two men didn't still make an occasional visit to the place that held so many memories for them. Of course, they didn't have very much time for that kind of thing any more, but life certainly wasn't dull anyway. Justin's talent was appreciated more than ever and he had to go from one commissioned piece to another on a very steady basis.The best part of their new life was how well the teens had fit in. They both adored their two dads and respected Daddy Michael (known as DM to the kids), a lot. They felt a great deal of affection for Daddy Ben (now DBB), but he was unable to spend much time with them. He had suffered a series of set backs and was weaker than ever. The kids saw less and less of DM because of it, since Michael was a devoted husband who hated leaving his mate's side for even an hour. Grandma Debbie had rallied recently, in part, from the joy in seeing the young ones, and the teens visited her as often as they could.

Both siblings had easily formed a circle of friends in no time at all. Gus had quickly become a star on the swimming team and JR had joined the drama club... something the dads teased her that she was perfectly suited for. Their best friends, just as Brian and Justin had suspected that first day of school, had turned out to be the brother and sister team of Jason and Gidget Tyler. It amused Brian that Gus' best friend would have a name so similar to the one that his best friend had, but of course he doubted that their friendship would have the same perks that Brian had with Justin.

Jason and Gidget had become familiar faces around the Kinney/Taylor household. They were there almost every weekend, including many overnight stays. It was only natural that Jason, who owned his own car that he worked hard to pay for himself, would offer to give Gus and JR rides to school every day. Everyone recognized the foursome as they pulled into the parking lot every morning. A vast majority of the eighth grade girls envied both JR and Gidget for their luck in having such cute brothers and brother's best friend. The two girls were often the center of attention as the other girls fished for stories on what it was like to have the two cutest Seniors in school around all the time. Neither of the young ladies were above exaggerating some of their tales.Gus and Jason were very much aware of the flirting that their sisters were extending to their best friend, but it was looked on as a joke rather than a nuisance. Luckily, the girls were so wrapped up in their mall hopping and giggling on the phone with other friends that they didn't become as much trouble as they certainly could have been. Both boys were certainly grateful that their sisters were thirteen. At that age they never stayed focused on any one thing or person for very long.

The kids were most excited right now because a planned Christmas vacation trip was coming up in a week and DB had gotten permission from Mr. and Mrs. Tyler to take Jason and Gidget with them for a four day skiing holiday in Vermont between Christmas and New Years, which they were more than willing to agree to once Brian made it clear that he'd be paying all expenses. They trusted that Jason would take good care of his little sister and Brian's innate charm didn't hurt in securing the agreement. Today was the last day left before the two and a half week school holiday would begin.

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Jason leaned over and opened the door of his truck so that Gus could hop in. His little sis, Gidget, kept bouncing in her seat in the back eager to share the newest gossip that she and JR hadn't already talked about on the phone the previous night. The minute JR and Gus were seated, Jason peeled out of the drive and headed for St. James. Everyone was eager to get the day over so that their vacation could begin. The boys had lots of plans for things to do and the girls were excitedly waiting to hit the malls for some last minute Christmas shopping. Jason pulled into his assigned parking spot in the school lot just in time to see Terry, his wrestling team mate, getting out of his beat up old jalopy with several of his favorite hangers on. He had gotten along reasonably well with the known bully because of their team affiliation until Gus had entered the picture. For some unfathomable reason that only Terry could know, the wrestler had taken an instant dislike to Gus and seemed to resent anyone who became his friend. He particularly resented it that Jason never spent any time with the wrestling posse any more and was always hanging with Gus instead. Terry had never actually been threatening to the guys, but he was rude and obnoxious to them whenever he could be.

Terry's favorite taunt had to do with questioning Gus' manhood, making snide remarks about how he liked to watch Jason wrestle an awful lot. The innuendo was clear but in case Jason didn't get it, Terry came right out and warned Jason to watch his back cause he thought Gus was a little too fond of his 'best friend'. Jason had learned long ago to ignore such comments. He had always been a very small built youngster and was sickly with heart problems when growing up. When he was thirteen he had some corrective surgery that improved his heart condition immensely. He took up body building to improve his health and physique. This led to a Freshman teacher suggesting he take up wrestling and judo. Jason loved it and the bullying that he'd suffered up until high school had become a distant memory. The one good thing that had come from his miserable early school years was the ability to tolerate and deal with taunts and the idiots who made them.

Jason could tell that the taunting was a lot more disturbing to Gus. It was obvious that he had never had to deal with that kind of treatment before. Gus had told him about his best friend, Heather, and how close they had been. Jason had felt a twinge of jealousy but only because he was already completely aware that he was gay and he had developed a secret crush on Gus. It had been a delightful surprise when he discovered who Gus' parents were. Jason had wanted to sit down with Brian and Justin and talk to them about what it was like to be openly gay in the adult world but refrained from doing so since Gus had never brought the subject of his two dads up in any of their many conversations. The truth was, that he wasn't even sure if Gus was straight or not and, even though he was sure Gus would never judge him, he didn't want to take a chance on losing his friendship by admitting his feelings. Unless Gus made the first move, Jason would keep his thoughts about that to himself.

The foursome got out of the vehicle and headed for the school entrance. They had almost made it to the door when they could hear Terry and his gang calling out from behind them.

"Hey, Jason! I see you have all your girls with you."

Jason turned around and faced Terry a few steps below him. "And I see you have yours," he answered back

A couple of the bigger boys behind Terry started to rush forward, anger in their eyes, but Terry held them back with his arm. Terry was no fool and he knew that a fight on the front steps of the school was a sure fire way to lose his scholarship to the University, and he might have been a bully but he was no moron.

"Let's leave the little ladies to their play time, boys," he growled, pushing his way past the foursome. His posse followed close behind, giving the evil eye as they passed.

Jason and Gus stared at the retreating backsides of the small gang, looked at each other, and burst into laughter. The girls joined in once they realized that the threat was gone. Jason bowed in a sweeping gesture to the other three and mockingly said, "shall we enter the hallowed halls of learning... ladies?"

Gus laughed even harder and the four teens turned and strutted into the front door.

The rest of the day went by quickly and happily without further incidents. The only thing on all four minds, as they got back into Jason's truck, was the fun they were going to have for the next eighteen days. Not one of them could know that their lives would change dramatically by the time the eighteen days were up. If they had they might not have been so carefree in their attitudes.

To be continued.....................


	11. The Turning Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip to Stow, Vermont has been wildly successful, and then a simple accident changes everything between Gus and best friend Jason.

The shuttle trip to the ski lodge in Stowe, Vermont had been a real thrill for all four teens. It was their very first time to travel by plane and was a great beginning to a trip that they had been breathlessly waiting for. Brian and Justin had spared no expense to give their young wards and their friends a holiday they would never forget. They had been worried over how Gus and JR would handle their first Christmas without Mel and Linds. The resiliency of youth still amazed the grown men.

JR had been the only one to openly express her guilt over looking forward to Christmas day. Justin had caught her crying in her pillow on the night of Christmas Eve and asked permission to enter her room. The poor girl tried valiantly to slow her tears and welcomed Justin in. The moment he sat on her bed, she threw her arms around his middle and buried her head in his chest. Justin began stroking her hair and whispering soothing words of comfort. After several minutes she had calmed enough to be able to speak. Justin had sat her up and quietly asked her what was on her mind. She had expressed her guilt, but Justin made it clear to the saddened child that his own memory of her mothers included the knowledge that they would want the children to remember them with love and then go on happily with their own lives. By the time Justin had left JR's room, she had calmed considerably because of his promise that the whole family would make the trek in the morning to the cemetery to visit the mausoleum that held the bodies of the two wives. It was a beautiful building designed to hold a number of people eventually and had been purchased by Brian some years before in order to ensure that he and Justin would be together for all time.

Gus had actually expressed his sorrow over his feelings of the loss of his moms to Jason. It was obvious to Jason that Gus didn't want to burden his dads with his pain, so Jason made it a point to inform Brian of how Gus was actually feeling. He sensed that his friend needed the comfort of his family. Brian had been greatly impressed by Jason's behavior. It reminded him a lot of the way that Justin had always been able to perceive what Brian was actually feeling and needing, even in their earliest years together. He thought again about how lucky his son had been to find such a good friend in Jason.Brian had pulled Gus aside on Christmas Eve and let him know that he and Justin had decided to make a trip to the cemetery to visit Mel and Linds on Christmas Day and honor their memory. He asked his son if he wanted to join the three of them. The relief was clear as it washed over Gus' face. He had broken his 'I'm too old to hug Daddy' rule and thrown his arms around his father. That night both teens were able to get to sleep much quicker than they had thought they would just knowing that their mothers had not been forgotten.

The visit to the mausoleum had been emotionally draining but they had all left the crypt feeling a sense of comfort that was badly needed on this holiday morning. Both teens stood before the ornate, yet tasteful plaques that stood side by side in the wall and read the beautiful words that Brian and Justin had ordered to be engraved for their beloved friends. The older men stood back and reflected on the many years that they had known the women and all the ups and downs of their relationships. Justin remembered how they had been the first two friends of Brian’s to welcome him into the fold with open arms and how they had refused to let him pull away from them when he had broken up with Brian after the Fiddler Fiasco. Brian remembered how Linds had been the first female friend he had made in his youthful days of college and how the friendship had lasted even after she had fallen in love with a woman who didn't really care for his charms. He remembered how hard it had been to gain Mel's respect, but once he had it they had become fast friends.The teens had finally felt ready to enjoy their Christmas day, as they knew their mothers would want them to. They had been thrilled with the generous gifts from Brian and Justin that they opened once they got home from the cemetery. They had then gone to the Novotny/Bruckner house and had another big payday with lots of packages to lug home from there...plus a huge bag of Christmas cookies made by their own sweet Gram. They had already received cards from Heather and Angie and a few other close friends from Toronto and even gotten a few nice things from their Auntie Em and Uncles Ted and Blake. They had been invited to the Tyler house for the evening as a thank you for the trip that they had invited Jason and Gidget on. By the time they hit the sack on Christmas night, the teens were too exhausted to keep their eyes open for a single minute.

Brian and Justin had stood in the doorway of each of their rooms with their arms around each other and enjoyed a quiet moment of satisfaction that their first Christmas as a family had turned out to be a success. The change in their lives in just a few short months was something they could have never predicted, but they were content. As they closed the second door and began to move down the long hall leading to their own bedroom, they stopped and turned to each other.

"Merry Christmas, Brian," Justin whispered to his husband.

"Merry Christmas back at ya, Sunshine," Brian whispered back.

Brian enfolded his beloved in his arms and reached down to place a soft tender kiss on his welcoming lips. Within seconds the heat started to rise between the lovers and Brian quickly escorted Justin to the privacy of their bedroom in order to bestow his favorite gift on his husband and receive his gift in return.

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Now the plane was touching down and all the vacationers aboard were eagerly gathering belongings and preparing to disembark. The excitement in the four teens was palpable. They jostled each other good naturedly in their eagerness to get the show on the road. Everyone stepped off the small plane and breathed deeply of the crisp fresh country air of a wintry Vermont. They could see their shuttle bus clearly marked with the name of their destination…The Village Green at Stowe...waiting for them at the terminal. The other passengers who shared their plane headed for the bus with the Kinney/Taylor party following close behind.

The shuttle bus had them at their destination in no time since the resort was in the heart of the 19th century village. Brian made quick work of signing everyone in and they were directed to their private townhouse. Brian had spared no expense for this trip and had reserved the finest accommodations available. The next four days promised to be unforgettable.

As Brian unlocked the door to their temporary home, everyone let out a gasp at the luxury they saw. A thorough inspection revealed a condo with a beautifully appointed master bedroom complete with king size bed, another smaller bedroom with twin beds, a loft bedroom with more twin beds, a large well appointed kitchen with a separate dining room, and the crowning glory...a comfortably furnished living room with a white stone fireplace begging to be lit. The boys called dibs loudly for the loft and the girls ran squealing to claim their own private bedroom.

Brian and Justin had put up their luggage in the master bedroom and settled in on the large red velvet sofa in the living room. The fireplace was lit by gas so a roaring fire was already warming the room. Brian leaned against the overstuffed armrest with his long leg stretched out along the back of the sofa. Justin had settled himself with his back resting against Brian's chest and his legs up. Brian brought his other leg up to rest along Justin’s and he wrapped his arms around his lover. For a moment, the two men reveled in the feeling of being close and connected. Then the sound of loud girlish laughter and teenage feet running down a set of stairs reminded them that they were not alone.

Brian sighed deeply, kissed the top of Justin's silky blond head, and whispered in his ear, "Later!"

"Later!" Justin sighed back.

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The next few days were a whirl of activity. Everyone except Brian tried their hand at skiing, some more successfully than others. The kids indulged in snowboarding while Brian and Justin stuck to a snowshoeing trail. There was the romantic sleigh ride at night for Brian and Justin that led to a particularly hot and heavy evening on the floor in front of the fireplace for the older men while the younger ones had taken a supervised night skiing excursion. The girls spent a lot of time in the many exciting shops that the quaint town had to offer while Brian joined them on a couple of occasions. A snowmobile tour provided by an outdoor adventure company had been fun for the entire group on the third day. Late evenings were spent in front of the fireplace or in bedrooms reliving all the excitement that had been crammed into such a short period of time.

Much too quickly the final full day of the trip had arrived. Brian and Justin had decided to spend the day at the fully equipped spa the resort provided. Brian was in particular need of a good massage after all the activities he'd indulged in. The girls were in desperate need of one final trip to the shops in town so Brian arranged an escort (he didn't dare call the woman a babysitter), that the hotel provided for just such occasions. Jason and Gus had made arrangements to participate in a mountain biking excursion. Gus was in awe of the beauty of the mountains and had stopped several times during their stay to sketch the scenery in the notebook he always carried in his backpack. He also had a number of sketches of Jason against the backdrop of the mountain but he kept those to himself.

The day started out wonderfully, with everyone heading off to their individual destinations. JR and Gidget groaned at the idea of having a chaperone but stopped the complaints rapidly when Brian gave them the choice of a chaperone or staying close by at the lodge. The boys went off for the starting point of the biking trail.

There were at least two dozen other folks joining Gus and Jason for the biking adventure. There were four or five families with several younger children, the youngest looking to be about eleven or twelve. The rest were either couples or a couple of individual women and one lone man. The boys were assigned their mountain bikes and everyone mounted up. The air was clear and there was a slight breeze that blew away their frosty breaths as they exhaled. Soon the group was well on their way up the mountain side.

The young men could have easily taken a lead in the line of bikers if they had wanted to but Gus deliberately slowed down so that they could lag behind a little. He was in no hurry for this last special event to be over. He had been having the best time of his life with Jason beside him. He was more thankful than ever that he had met the young wrestler. Jason was strong and kind and made him laugh more than anyone had ever done before in his life. He already knew in his heart that this was a friendship that would last a lifetime.

The boys had begun to fall further and further behind when Gus came to a complete stop. Jason slowed down and stopped, looking back at his friend. He turned the bike around and walked the few feet to where Gus was standing, watching the retreating backs of the other people in their group.

"What's up? Why'd you stop?" he asked Gus.

Gus pointed over to the left where their was a large gap in the tree line. The view of the side of the mountain and an adjoining range was breathtaking.

"I've got to get closer to the edge. I have to make a quick sketch of this. I might never see anything like this again. I won't be long...I promise. We can catch up with them. You know they'll be stopping soon for a break. Pleeeease, Jase," Gus pleaded in his most winning way.

If he had been a girl he would have probably batted his eyelashes.Jason felt nervous as the group slowly faded from sight but it was impossible to say no to Gus when he was looking at him like that. 'If Gus only knew the hold he had on him,' Jason thought to himself. 'The little fucker would probably use his powers even more.' That last thought brought a big smile to Jason's face that went unnoticed by Gus, who was already wrapped up in getting out his sketchpad and pencil. The boys laid their bikes on the side of trail and moved into the trees. Gus spent the next twenty minutes sketching a rough draft of the magnificent view and then quickly put his supplies away.

Jason led the way as the teens remounted their bikes and started moving quickly up the trail. They had only gone a few yards when Jason was startled by a large white rabbit darting across their path. The sudden movement caused the dark haired teen to lose control of his steering and he began to wobble towards the edge of the trail. He didn't see the rocks at the edge until it was too late and his wheel struck one of the larger ones head on. He had been going just fast enough to cause him to flip over the handle bars and land flat on his back.

It took Gus less than a second to jump from his bike and run to his fallen friend. Terror gripped the boys heart when he realized that Jason was unconscious. He was sure the teen had broken something, even though he had landed in a deep pile of snow. He was too frightened to think straight but his Red Cross training from school kicked in and he knew not to move his friend. He checked for breathing and could tell it was steady, which was a huge relief. As he sat there on his knees leaning over his best friend, with his face only inches away from Jason’s, he felt an uncontrollable urge like nothing he had ever experienced before in his life. Without even thinking, he leaned in and placed his lips on the still lips of his friend. He lingered for several seconds because it felt so unbelievably right and good.

Suddenly he realized what he was doing and started to pull away. As he did, he looked down into Jason's face and saw the dark brown eyes looking back at him. Gus froze. Neither boy moved a muscle for what seemed an eternity. Then slowly, Jason reached up and put his hand on Gus' neck...pulling his face back down to join their lips together again. Time stood still. The kiss was soft and sweet and gentle. Neither boy had much experience in kissing which made the lingering kiss even sweeter.

Just as suddenly, Jason released his hold on Gus and the taller boy fell back on his bottom. Jason started to sit up, when Gus jumped forward, hand out to stop him.

"Don't!" he warned. "You can't be sure where you're hurt."

Jason continued sitting up and felt himself all over. "Nope, no broken bones," he told Gus. "But I've got one hell of a headache," he said, feeling the back of his head.

Gus reached out and felt in the same area of Jason's head, his fingers becoming entangled with his friends. He pulled his hand away swiftly in confusion. Jason grabbed the hand before Gus could move too far away. The boys became frozen in place again, each staring into the other's eyes as if trying to draw out the truth behind them. This time Gus broke the spell.

"Why, Jase...why did you kiss me?"

"Why did you kiss me first, Gee?" Jason questioned back.

"I don't know. I just had to, that's all. I thought you were really hurt bad and...and...and I just had to."

"I just had to too."

Before Gus could say any more, they heard the sound of their guide calling out their names. They pulled their hands apart as if they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Gus yelled, "Over here " and heard the sound of running footsteps on the dirt trail.

A cursory exam by the trained guide showed nothing more serious than a bump on the head but he ordered Jason to stay down while calling for a mountain rescue team. A half hour later the teen was laying on the exam table of the local hospital. By the time the doctor had completed his exam and declared the young man to be fit and ready to be released with the admonition to keep an eye on him for signs of a concussion, the whole family had gathered together to bring Jason back to the condo.

Jason had to endure a lot of mothering from his little sister and fussing over by Justin, but it was the unusual quiet of Gus that concerned him the most. He had always been able to read Gus' moods but he was at a loss to tell what his friend was thinking now. The gang of four went out to one of the nicest restaurants in town for their last dinner in Stowe. There was a slight tinge of melancholy hanging over the group at the thought of having to leave in the morning so both men put Gus' silence down to that combined with a sense of guilt over Jason's accident. Jason was the only one who knew that there was more to the story.

That night the dads retired to their bedroom to enjoy one last romantic night together and the girls went back to their room in order to ooh and aah over all the goodies that they had been able to purchase thanks to DB's generosity. Jason and Gus trudged up the steps to their second floor loft. Not a word passed between the boys as they readied themselves for bed. Ten minutes later they lay in their side by side twin beds with Gus turning off the lamp between them.

Ordinarily, they would have spent the next several hours reliving their fabulous day but they lay on their separate beds without uttering a sound. Neither boy could sleep. Finally the silence was broken.

"Gee? We need to talk. We can't leave things like they are."

"I know, Jase. But I don't know what to say," came the reply.

Jason sat up and flipped the three way lamp on dim. He faced Gus' bed.

"Then I'll start . Gee, I kissed you because I think I'm in love with you...NO, I kissed you, because I AM in love with you. I've known it for a while now, but I didn't know how to tell you and I didn't know how you'd feel. I know all your parents are gay but that didn't mean you yourself would be able to accept the affections of someone who is gay. I wanted to say something, but....but I was afraid to." 

Jason stopped and waited for a response. It took several minutes. Just as Jason was sure he'd made a big mistake and that he'd just lost his best friend he saw Gus swing his legs over the side of the bed and sit up.

"I don't really understand what's going on in my head, Jase, ‘cause I've never felt anything like this before. All I do know for sure is that you mean more to me than any one I know...except for my family. And Jase...I WANTED to kiss you too. AND it honestly felt right."

Gus had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Jason moved quickly from his own bed to sit beside his friend. He put his hands on Gus' shoulders and drew him to his chest. As their faces got closer, Gus bent his face to the side and allowed Jason's mouth to meet with his. The same sweet tentative kiss began between the two teens but this time there was a bit more urgency to it. Jason began to move his lips against Gus' with more force and Gus responded by parting his lips ever so slightly. The sudden feel of the tip of Jason's tongue against the part in his lips caused the taller boy to pull his head back, but in that moment he also knew that it had felt stimulating and he realized he wanted to experience that feeling again.

This time it was Gus who was the aggressor as he swooped down for another taste of Jason's full rich lips. The fire between the two young men was growing steadily with each passing minute. Before they even realized what was happening to them, they had begun to savor the delicious tastes of each other’s mouths as their tongues took on a life of their own.

Gus fell back on his bed, pulling Jason down on top of him, with their lips firmly attached to one another. Completely without conscious thought, they began to grind their crotches together, relishing the feel of their hardening young cocks against each other. Both boys had certainly had their share of late night five finger exercises, but this time was different. They knew that they had never felt such passion and longing before. Soon the overwhelming need to see and touch the other boys cock could be denied no longer. They broke from their lip lock long enough to sit up and scoot their jockeys down their legs. No sooner were the underpants laying on the floor when the new lovers had stretched back out laying side by side and face to face. Words had become completely unnecessary. They lowered their hands down to the other boy’s rock hard cock and wrapped their fingers around the prize. They began to manipulate the shafts with up and down strokes. They stared into each others eyes and watched as the lust darkened the pupils. The mere sight spurred them on to stronger efforts to bring the other to climax. Soon their breaths were coming in short staccato bursts and their eyes closed with the intense pleasure that they were giving each other.

Soft moans began to pour from Gus, spurring Jason into planting his mouth firmly over Gus' to try and stifle the noise. Their lips parted again and both boys began to moan into each other. Their bodies began quaking and in that instant they felt the hot liquid pour out and onto their stomachs and hands. They continued to kiss as their bodies released several more smaller spurts of pleasure, until they were finally drained. They continued laying together for some time, basking in the afterglow, until the cool air signaled the need to clean up. They got up, almost afraid to look at each other, and proceeded to strip Gus' bed of the sheets and blanket. They threw the bundle in a corner and used the towels from their earlier shower to wipe themselves clean. When they had finished, the teens got back into Jason's bed and wrapped their arms around each other. They had never felt more tired and sleep was what they needed now. They would deal with this strange new thing in their lives tomorrow. For now they were just happy to feel at home in their mutual embrace. The knowledge that their lives had just become a lot more complicated was set aside for now, but they both knew that nothing would ever be the same for the two of them after this...their first night together as more than just friends.

To be continued...........................


	12. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after Gus and Jason's relationship takes an unexpected turn. Justin accidentally discovers their secret and informs a very surprised, and somewhat pleased, Brian. Now if only the teens can figure out how to handle their feelings.

Justin woke up with a start. He could see through the tiny crack between the curtain and the edge of the bay window that the sun hadn't started to peek out yet. He was wrapped tightly in Brian's arms with his butt firmly planted against his husband's crotch. Brian was obviously still in deep sleep since he didn't have his usual magnificent early morning woody pressing insistently against Justin's still firm bubble butt. The blond, who was sporting his own morning woody, had no desire to leave the comfort or warmth that Brian was providing but he knew it was probably time to get moving. A quick glance at the clock on the side table confirmed his suspicions.

Justin decided he'd give Brian a little extra snooze time and get some steaming coffee ready to ease their morning chores. Check out time was at 11:00 a.m. but it was barely after six so they had plenty of time. Half their things were already packed and the rest shouldn't take even an hour to complete. They would all have plenty of time for one last look around and a hearty brunch before boarding the plane for their one o'clock flight home.

Justin carefully moved Brian's hold on his torso, making sure not to wake his lover, and slid quietly off the bed. The cool morning air made his skin shiver and he made a quick beeline to the bathroom in order to relieve himself. He made the decision to wait for Brian to rouse himself in order to have one last shower together with him. Showering had been a favorite activity to share with Brian for over seventeen years now. He suspected it always would be. Ten minutes later, he was standing in the sparkling kitchen and preparing the first pot of coffee for the morning. He decided he'd check on the young members of their group even though he was sure they were too exhausted from all their adventures to be up and about this early.

Justin headed for the girls room first. The door was slightly ajar so he decided not to knock and wake them up. He moved the door just enough to see the rounded lumps of the girls in their beds, their heads buried deep in the covers. Justin smiled to himself. He marveled again at how much fun he was having with JR around all the time. She reminded him a lot of his baby sister, Molly. They hadn't always gotten along perfectly when younger but they were now very good friends. She had married her college sweetheart a few years back and was now living in California but they still chatted often. JR was full of life, just like Molly had been, and Justin loved that about her. He knew that her constant chatter got on Brian's nerves sometimes but Justin had no real problem with it.

Justin decided to give the girls another hour and slowly pulled the door closed. Next stop was the boys’ room. He took the stairs to the loft bedroom on tiptoe, wanting to avoid waking them too if they were still asleep. He approached the closed door and tapped on it ever so lightly. The lack of a response gave him hope that they were still in dreamland. They needed it after the harrowing time they had the day before. Justin opened the door just a tiny crack. He quietly pushed it open a tiny bit more so that the beds would come into view. The first thing Justin noticed was that the bed closest to the door was not only empty, but stripped to the mattress too. Justin felt one second of alarm until realizing almost at the same time that the second bed was much too full to be holding a single person. Justin stood in the door frame with his jaw on the floor. This definitely required a closer exam. Justin tiptoed ever so quietly to the side of the twin bed. The thick covers were pulled almost to the top of both boys’ shoulders but there was no mistaking that the muscular arm of Jason was draped over Gus' slender body from behind and that Jason's short thick fingers were laced securely with Gus' long artist's fingers. Justin couldn't tell if the boys were naked beneath the covers but the sight of two pairs of jockeys on the floor next to the bed bore witness to the probable answer.

The teens were breathing deep and steady with what could only be called smiles on their faces. Justin suddenly had the need to get out without waking them. He needed to think...digest what he had just seen...talk to Brian. When the hell did this happen? Why in the hell didn't he or Brian notice it before? The questions swirled in his mind like a windstorm. And what in the fucking hell were they to do about this thing? How would they handle it? Brian...that's what he needed, and right now! With that thought in mind, Justin headed down the stairs twice as quickly as he went up them.

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"Brian? Brian, wake up!"

Justin started shaking his husband for all he was worth. He knew he should stay calm but he wasn't feeling calm at the moment. It wasn't that he was upset or angry about his discovery....it was that he was confused and unsure what to do or how to handle things. He knew from bitter experience that the wrong words or actions could cause a lot of harm. Brian had barely stirred.

"Brian!" he all but shouted at the slowly rousing form. "Wake up! We've got to talk. We've got a problem. Wake up, damn it!" Justin yanked the warm blanket off violently and threw it to the floor.

"Wha...What the fuck?! Damn, Justin, what the hell has got your balls in a twist?" Brian grumbled, a little pissed at the unceremonious way he had been jerked awake.

Brian opened his eyes more fully and his protests died in his throat. One look at Justin's face and he knew his favorite blond was well and truly bothered by something important. Brian's protective antennae started quivering. He was fully awake in seconds. He pulled a pacing Justin down on the bed and wrapped his arms around the shaking man.

"What's going on, Sunshine? You look like you've seen the ghost of dead fathers. What has got you so worked up?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, Bri."

"I suggest just saying it, kiddo," Brian interrupted.

Justin squared his shoulders and sat back from Brian, looking him straight in the face.

"I saw something this morning and we have to talk about it."

"Okay...?"

"No, listen. Just let me get this out. First off, I went to check on the kids. I thought I'd give them more time to sleep if they weren't already up. The girls were out like a light and doing fine. I then went upstairs to check on the boys..." Justin paused.

"Aaaand?" Brian asked, getting impatient.

"And," Justin continued. "And they were sound asleep too."

"Yes?" Brian's voice rose a little. He was getting tired of Justin's hesitations. "Get to the point, please!"

"The point is that they were sound asleep in the same bed and cuddling...and I don't mean 'I'm cold' cuddling, I'm mean 'I want you' cuddling!"

"Are you sure?" Brian sounded skeptical.

"Their underpants were on the floor next to the bed and the other bed had been stripped of everything. They were holding hands, for fuck's sake. And Jason had his face buried against Gus' back with his lips right on him. Yeah, I'd say I was pretty sure."

"Oh Geez, how the hell did this happen?"

"Oh I don't know? Maybe your son is as queer as his good old dad and he just happened to find another gay boy to become best friends with and one thing led to another and....."

"I get it, I get it!"

Justin took a moment to compose his next thoughts. And then..."Well now that you get it...'Dad'....how are we going to handle this…‘cause I haven't a clue."

"Very carefully!" Brian responded. Then he paused for a second as if something had just dawned on him.

"That's MY boy!" Brian suddenly laughed. "Who'd have thunk it? I must really be rusty with my gaydar." He punched Justin in the shoulder. "It's all your fault, Sunshine! You've taken me off the prowl and I've lost my touch."

Justin leaned over and placed a big fat smooch on his hubby. "Oh, you haven't lost it, Mr. Kinney. You've just put it to better use"

Brian reached over and grabbed his lover by the shoulders and pulled Justin down on top of him. Justin started squirming to get loose but Brian held on and forced the smiling blond down to his lips. A few minutes of lip lock accompanied with tongue dancing and Brian finally released his prey with a hearty laugh.

"You mean for this," he asked, pointing down to their growing cocks.

Justin grinned, slapped Brian's hand away, and jumped off of Brian to stand in front of him. He did his best to place a serious look on his face. It amazed him how Brian could still get his motor revving even under serious circumstances.

"Brian...cut it out. This is serious. The boys will be up soon and we need to decide how to handle this. And don't forget that we have the girls to deal with too. We don't have the slightest idea how much they know and I have the feeling it isn't too much. Not the way that JR flirts with Jason every time they're in the same room together."

Brian realized that Justin was right, as usual, and now was not the time to indulge in a morning romp. He reluctantly sat up. After a bit more discussion, they decided they needed a nice hot shower and then they could figure out what to do over coffee. If what they suspected had actually happened last night, they were pretty certain the boys would not be up too soon. It was still really early. Fifteen minutes and a hurried shower later, the two men sat at the dining room table with hot steaming mugs of coffee and a pot standing nearby.Justin started out by giving another detailed description of what he had witnessed. Then the two men started thinking back to as many meetings with both boys together as they could recall. They were looking for clues desperately that they might have missed to try and figure out how long this thing had been going on. For the life of them they couldn't think of a single incident that seemed intimate or secretive. After lots of back and forth discussion they finally decided that neither of them was that blind. They were almost one hundred percent certain that this trip was the beginning of something special between their son and his best friend. If that was true, and they prayed it was, then it wasn't too late to have 'the talk' with Gus and Jason. They made up their mind that this was something that needed to be worked on in the familiarity of home surroundings so they would table confronting the boys until they were all back in the Pitts. They also wanted to make sure that the girls were no where near when they did. This was a delicate issue and it was most definitely a boys only, need to know basis discussion. They would bring in the Tyler parents only after hearing what Gus and Jason had to say for themselves.

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Gus felt the weight of Jason's muscular arm draped over his stomach and felt his hand holding on before he had even come fully awake. A huge smile started to spread over his face as the memory of the night before rushed back. But with that also came a sudden fear. What if this was just a fluke? What if Jason would wake up and hate himself for what he'd done...they'd done?

Gus started to squirm, trying to loosen Jason's hold on him. The movement was all that was needed to rouse Jason. He blinked his eyes open and saw the pale skin of his best friend's back inches away from his face. He felt Gus trying to pull away and instinctively tightened his hold on the slender boy. He placed a soft kiss between Gus' shoulder blades. Gus jerked forward, loosening his friend’s hold on him. He sat up quickly swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He sat there with his back to Jason and his head down.

Jason sat up next to the visibly shaken youth. He placed his arm around Gus and pulled him against his chest. Gus hesitated for only a split second and then settled against Jason's body. After a moment, Jason spoke up.

"Are you alright, Gee?"

Gus wasn't sure what to say. He began hesitantly, "I....I think so. I'm sorry, Jase! I don't know what came over me. Please don't be mad!" Gus was almost wailing by this time.Jason pulled Gus closer. He ran his free hand through Gus' soft hair. "Shhhh. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. Why would I be mad at you ,Gee. Nothing happened here that I didn't want. I...I thought you did too." He pulled Gus' face up to look him square in the eye. "Was I wrong, Gee? Are you sorry about what happened? Were you?"

Gus was too confused to answer right away. Jason took his hesitancy to mean that he did have some regrets. It hurt like a motherfucker. He had been so sure that Gus knew what he wanted and he wanted him. Now he wasn't so sure. He let Gus go and stood up, looking for his shorts. He pulled them on quickly, suddenly feeling very naked. Gus continued to sit on the edge of the bed feeling very chilled all of a sudden without Jason's arm around him. He was scared. What had he said? Why was Jason acting so cold all of a sudden? Had he been wrong about Jason's feelings last night.

Jason continued to gather up his clothing. He started for the door and then turned before exiting it. He looked at Gus, looking much smaller than he really was on the edge of the bed. All he wanted to do was run over and gather his friend in his arms and assure him that everything would be alright. He wanted to kiss him again and feel those things he had felt last night. He felt a surge of emotion as he thought of being with Gus. But instead he quietly said, "I'm going to take a shower. I'll meet you downstairs, okay?"

"Okay," Gus whispered back. He felt very close to tears.

"Gee? It's going to be okay. We'll talk about this later. We're still friends...right?"

Gus looked up. "Always, Jase!" he answered hopefully.

Jason stepped out of the room, leaving Gus behind more confused than ever. Last night, he'd never been happier in his whole life. He had never felt so connected to another human being. Today he was unsure of everything. If he lost Jason's friendship, Gus was sure that he'd never feel right about anything again. He really didn't know how to put a name to it, but Gus knew that Jason meant the world to him. He'd do anything, be anything Jason wanted to make him happy. Gus straightened up his shoulders. He just had to get through today. Tonight they'd be back home. They'd work this thing out there. He wasn't giving up his relationship with Jason without a fight. That he knew without a doubt. All they had to do was get back home.

To be continued..........


	13. The 'Talk'-Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The whole family has come back home from Vermont. As JR goes off blissfully unaware on her own, Brian and Justin confront Gus on what they've discovered. Gus admits he's not sure where he stands with Jason anymore, but is prompted to find out for sure by his loving Dads.

Brian and Justin sat at the dining room table and drained the last of their third cup of coffee for the morning. Both men were exhausted. They normally would be discussing tomorrow night, New Year's Eve, but instead they had spent half the night and all of this morning discussing the surprising turn of events that they had discovered on their vacation to Vermont.

The trip back home yesterday had been largely uneventful. There was an uneasy tension between their son and Jason that the dads couldn't fail to notice. It bothered them but they both knew that now was not the time to question anyone. The boys were completely unaware that there was also a tenseness in DB and DJ because they had far too much else on their minds. The young girls were blissfully unaware of anything. They were far too excited about all the goodies they were taking home and planning on showing off to their circle of friends. Once the plane landed in Pittsburgh, the dads were more than happy to encourage the girl's stream of chatter. It kept everything else that needed to be dealt with at bay.

The only thing that surprised Brian and Justin was the abrupt way that Jason said goodbye to Gus, grabbed his little sis at the house, got in his own vehicle, and headed home. When Gidget complained, he had muttered something about not feeling too good ('it must have been something he ate') and he wanted to get home quickly. Brian and Justin couldn't help noticing how unhappy their son looked as his best friend hurried away.

JR had hit the phone before the bags had even been unpacked. Gus disappeared behind the closed doors of his room. Dinner consisted of a large everything pizza for Justin and the teens and a small veggie pizza light on the cheese for Brian from their favorite pizza parlor. Brian and Justin did their best to draw Gus into conversation about the trip but received mostly single word responses. JR made up for it with her usual exuberance. By nine, even JR began to wind down. Everyone finally went off to their own bedrooms to retire for the night.

Neither Brian or Justin had been able to decide just how they would approach Gus about his relationship with Jason. Frankly, they were a little confused. Justin was quite clear about the obvious intimacy in what he had seen between the two boys but one would never guess it from the way they acted from the moment they came downstairs at the lodge. Justin was convinced that they had argued about something, probably trivial, remembering some of the smaller disagreements he had with Brian, especially during the difficult first year that they had known each other. Brian was convinced that it was probably a case of the two boys wanting different things out of their relationship and that fact had put a strain on them. The one thing they knew was that they couldn't stay blind to what had happened. They had finally fallen asleep without solving their dilemma.

Now it was morning and the kids would be up at any time. The new year was only two days away and the only thing they had settled on was that they didn't want the new year to begin without finding out some facts on how their son really felt. The sound of JR skipping down the back stairs heading for the kitchen with her cell, obviously in full use, caused the dads to quickly table any further talk about Gus. Within minutes, JR breezed through the swinging doors of the kitchen and into the dining room. She had her cell in one hand with a plate of muffins perched on top and a large glass of orange juice in the other. She dropped the items unceremoniously to the table and rushed around to wrap her slender arms around both men in their turn, giving them each a big sloppy kiss on the top of their heads."Hey, DJ and DB. Whew! I feeeel so much better. Nothing like a good night’s sleep. Hope you're ready to hit the stores. Gotta find some reeeeally special rags to wear for the party tomorrow. Do you think Gus can take me to the mall? I wish I could go to the office party, but I KNOW...no kids allowed. You do know that I know what goes on at these office parties, right? My friend, Cinda Lee, says that her folks came home so drunk last year they couldn't even make it up the stairs to their room. She found them at the bottom of the stairs passed out. Well, that's okay cause I know the Tyler's have big plans for the party for us 'young' folks. Anyway, have either of you seen Gus yet? Geez, it's late. What in the heck is wrong with that pain in my...you know where? He's been acting funny. You'd think he'd be all excited...the trip and all, and the party coming up. Boys...who can understand 'em. Well, gotta go. I promised to call Gidge and set up hair appointments for tomorrow for both of us. See ya!"

Brian and Justin sat at the table with their mouths hanging open while the tornado dressed liked their daughter whirled out of the room. When her vapor trail was gone they turned to each other and burst out laughing.

"Did she even breathe in between there anywhere?" Justin asked.

"I don't think so, but what I want to know is how did she manage to say all that and eat and drink at the same time? That child must have the gift of osmosis," Brian replied.

"Did we ever have that kind of energy?"

"Oh, you did, Sunshine. But you put yours to much better use," Brian leered seductively.

"Not now, 'honey', we still have one more to tackle, remember?"

"Who could forget."

Just then the men heard the heavier steps of their son as he moved much slower down the back stairs. He entered the dining room a few minutes later with identical muffins and OJ in hand, but no phone.

"Hey everybody. Do you think we could ask the pest to keep it down in the morning? I've got a headache and she didn't help it any," Gus groaned, while holding his head with his elbows perched on the table.

"Didn't sleep well last night, Son?" Brian asked.

"It was okay. I guess I was still wound up from the vacation, you know?"

Both men thought about bringing up their questions now, but the sound of JR's music suddenly blaring in the background reminded them that now wasn't the time. If they could just get JR out of the house for a little while and keep Gus here then they could talk. Before they could even finish their thoughts, the answer to their prayers came bounding down the front stairs again.

"Hey fellas, guess what? I won't need your help today. Mrs. Tyler said she would take Gidge and me on a shopping trip today for the party. We're even going to help her set it up! Doesn't that sound so cool! Oh, and Mrs. Tyler wants to know if I can spend the night with them so we can start decorating in the morning. So can I?" She did a quick turn to her brother, still holding his head, and stuck out her tongue at him. "Now I won't need your help. You can take your old sour puss and crawl back into bed." Back to her dads. "It's okay if I go, right?"

Almost simultaneously, the two men chirped out an okay. They looked appreciatively at each other as the tornado flew back up the stairs to get ready for her fun day. Now all they had to do was wait. They doubted if Gus would be going anywhere as he quickly finished his breakfast and told his dads that he'd be in his room if they needed him.

***************************

JR hadn't been gone for more than fifteen minutes when Gus heard a knock on his bedroom door. He was surprised to see both of his dads standing in the doorway. They both looked so serious and if there was a problem they usually took turns in working things out with the teens. They seldom wanted to 'chat' at the same time. Actually they reminded Gus of a tag team...working together for a common goal but at different times. It flashed through the young man's mind that this time something really important must be up. He asked the men to enter. They came in and sat side by side on the bed facing Gus who sat at his computer table.

"Are we interrupting anything, Sonnyboy?" asked DB.

"Not really," came the reply. "I was just checking out some new sites." Gus had no intention of telling his dads that he was looking for some sites with info on being gay. He wasn't even sure if that was what he was. He wasn't sure of anything any more. He knew he could ask the guys about it but he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to his dad, in particular, about this thing. A minute later he no longer had to worry about whether he should bring up his concerns to the dads. They took care of that with just a few brief words.

DJ was the first to open the door. "Gus...Son, your Dad and I...well, we need to ask you something. And look, you don't have to worry about anything you tell us. We love you...you know that. We're here for you no matter what....and, well..."

"We want to know what is going on between you and Jason...personally, not just as friends," Brian interrupted. "Sorry, but you were kind of dragging it out," he said apologetically to Justin.

"Your Dad is right, Gus. Look, we...well, I saw you that last morning before we left the lodge."

"Fuck!"

Both Brian and Justin were surprised. They couldn't even count on their fingers the amount of times they had heard Gus cussing.

"It's okay, kiddo," Brian jumped in. "Look, you know we have no problem with it. I mean..."

Brian pointed to Justin and then himself. "Just look at us. I think it would be weee bit hypocritical for me to be disturbed by what happened. Right?"

Justin stepped in. "See Gus, we don't care who you want to be with as long as you're happy. It's just that we need to talk about it. Sex isn't a game. Well, at least it isn't something that should be practiced without knowing what you're doing and learning how to be as safe as possible....like your Dad and I always try to be, or always did when we needed to. Are you getting my drift, Son?"

Gus had been sitting with his head lowered saying nothing. His head suddenly popped back up. The look on his face bothered both men more than they wanted to admit.

"I get your drift, but it's not what you think. Jase and I...we're not having sex. I mean we did...well we...we ah, we fooled around but we're not having sex. It was the first time...honest!" Gus wailed. "I don't know what's going on with us. He changed, Dad. He wouldn't even look at me in the morning. I mean he seemed alright at first and I didn't want him to think badly of me so I apologized for what happened. He said it was okay, but then he asked me if I was sorry. I didn't know what to say. I was afraid if I said the wrong thing he wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. But before I could answer him, he just seemed to turn cold. I mean, he did say we were still friends, but he's different somehow."

Without warning the young teen started to cry. Brian jumped up from the bed and took the few steps needed to pull his son up and wrap his arms around him.

"Shhhh, Gus. It's okay, Son. I'm sure Jason still wants to be friends with you." Although Brian wasn't that sure.

Gus tried mightily to stop the tears. Brian held on until he felt his boy started to relax a little against him. When he was certain that Gus had calmed enough, Brian led him over to the bed and sat him down between himself and Justin.

Justin spoke first, with his arm around the taller boys back. "If this was the first time that you and Jason had ever been intimate in any way, then I have the feeling that he is as confused as you, Gus. I don't think you should jump to any conclusions about his feelings until you talk it out thoroughly with him. Trust me, miscommunication can be a killer." Justin grinned at Brian behind Gus' back.

"Justin is right, Son. You have to be fair and give Jason a chance to explain his feelings. But let me ask you, have you always had feelings for boys instead of girls?"

"NO! I mean, I don't think so. Dammit, I never thought about it. I don't know. I never had feelings like this for anyone before...male or female. Jason is the first person I've ever even wanted to...well, you know, really kiss! I've wanted to for a while now, but I didn't know how to tell him. I was afraid to. And then it just happened...when he fell off the bike...just like that. I mean, I really got the feeling he wanted to too. And then that night...I don't know. It was like something just broke free and it was like we couldn't get enough of each other." Gus' voice started to rise again. "It was like we couldn't stop ourselves...you know what I mean. And it was sooo good. I'd never felt anything like that in my life. But if you're here to give me a lecture on safe sex, don't bother. I may have lost even his friendship. I just don't know."

Gus sounded so pathetic, it broke both of the older men's hearts. Justin realized how lucky he was to have an experienced man to help him learn how to explore his feelings for men. He had been the same age as Gus was now when he'd given in to the feelings that had been plaguing him for years, but Gus obviously needed more guidance, because it was obvious that Jason was not any more experienced than their son. They realized they were going to have to tread lightly with their next words.

"Gus, you're going to have to find out where you really stand with Jason before you make any more assumptions. Do you know if his family knows anything about how he feels?" Brian asked carefully.

"Oh yeah...right! Every time I go over there for study dates or dinner we sit around and discuss our sex lives! Geez, Dad! I don't know what they know. I told you, this never happened before. We never even talked about it."

"Then that's what you need to do, Son. You need to talk about it. Since we can't be sure of what his parents know, we think it would be best if you had Jason come over here and we can all talk in private. How does that sit with you?"

Gus sounded a little more relieved. He had been terribly embarrassed when he first realized that his dads knew what he'd done but now that they knew, he began to realize how much help they could be in helping him figure out what was really going on in his head. If anyone understood his confusion it had to be these two. He'd heard enough stories about their relationship (both directly and overheard) to know that they had had to deal with a lot of issues too. He wasn't so sure about how Jason would feel about them confronting him, though.

"I need to talk to Jase first, okay? I know he respects you guys, but I don't want you to scare him off."

Justin interrupted with a suggestion. "Gus, why don't you try to get him to come over to maybe help you with getting a party gift for his folks. Or better yet, WE could ask for his help. He probably won't say no to us. Then we can try to get him to stay for lunch. You can give him a heads up while you're shopping and then, if he's willing, we can talk about all this after eating. It's perfect since we'll have privacy with your little sis gone the whole day."

Gus' brow was furrowed with the effort of weighing DJ's idea. After a couple of minutes of thought he made his decision.

"I'll call Jase and see what he says. If he's hesitant, I'll get you guys to ask. Okay?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, Son," Brian answered.

Brian and Justin decided to give Gus some privacy. They got up and started to leave. They were stopped at the door by the sound of Gus' voice.

"Dad? DJ? I just want you to know, I love you guys...and thanks for being there for me."

Brian gave his son a quirky smile and Justin walked over to give the teen a quick hug. "We love you too Gus," he told the boy.

Once the two men had left the room, Gus picked up his phone. He was still uncertain, but he trusted his dads so he dialled Jason's cell number. It was as if his friend had been waiting for his call. Jason picked up before the second ring.

"Hey Gee!" The teen sounded glad to hear from him, so Gus felt better. "What's up?"

"I...ahhh...I wanted to ask you something. DB and DJ want to get a thank you gift for your folks for the party tomorrow and they asked me if I'd pick out something. You know your folks better than me so I wondered if you'd go with me to the mall and help me choose. You know what a label queen Dad is and you've got better taste than me anyway. So...ahhh...what do you think?"

Jason only hesitated for a split second. Then he answered. "Sounds good to me, Gee. So when do you want to go?"

"I was thinking right away. The fellas said to ask you to lunch after. We won't be pestered by the shrimps. They're going to be with your Mom all day and they're spending the night at your house. So you want to come over soon?"

This time Jason answered quickly. "Will do. I'll pick you up in twenty. Okay?'

"That's a deal. See you then." Gus hung up. He sat there trying to deal with his thoughts. Jason sounded fine...not quite as spontaneous as usual, but he sounded okay. Now all he had to do was convince his friend to let DB and DJ talk to them. It was worth the risk. Gus knew that he couldn't live in limbo with his relationship with Jason forever. He had to know where they stood. He headed for the closet to find something to wear. He was certainly not a clothes horse like his dad but today was important. Gus wanted to look his best. As he rummaged through his shirts he wondered where the rest of the day was going to lead. But first things first. He'd get dressed, let the dads know where he was going and take the next steps one at a time. By the end of the day, he hoped he'd be standing on firmer ground.

To be continued....................


	14. The 'Talk'-Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus and Jason finally come to an understanding about this thing between them, and then it is Brian and Justin's turn to have a talk with both teens at the same time.

The sound of Jason's engine as he pulled up into the circular driveway of the Kinney/Taylor house brought Gus bounding down the front steps. He had been dressed and ready to go in less than ten minutes after hanging up with Jason and spent the last ten minutes, after telling his dads where he was going, waiting for his best friend to arrive. He was incredibly conflicted. On the one hand he wanted more than anything to spend more time with Jason. On the other hand he was as nervous as hell that things wouldn't be as smooth and easy with him as they had been before the last night at the Vermont ski lodge.

While waiting for Jason, the memory of that last night with Jason holding him tight brought a flush to Gus' cheeks. He could feel the heat rising in his face and other places and felt embarrassed. But at the same time an electric thrill coursed through his veins that was far from unpleasant. The longing to spend time with Jason won out over his fears and he raced to the truck as fast as his sinewy runner's legs could carry him, all but leaping into the front seat when Jason opened the door for him. For one brief instant Gus felt like leaning over and planting a kiss on Jason as he'd seen his dad do to DJ, or DJ do to his dad, time and again, but he squelched the impulse as quickly as it rose."So, where to, Gee," Jason questioned?

"The mall's the best bet," Gus replied. "Plenty of different shops." Gus paused for a couple of minutes while Jason got back into traffic. The mall wasn't more than ten minutes away. When they were on their way, Gus continued, "Man, am I glad to see you..."

Jason interrupted, "Me too, bud. So have you decided what kind of gift you want to get my folks."

Gus was a little disappointed at the semi-formal way that Jason was talking to him. It seemed almost like forced cheerfulness and made Gus uncomfortable, but he quickly decided he was projecting his own insecurities onto his friend and dismissed it. It wasn't as if Jason had gone out of his way to completely avoid him.

Once the boys reached the mall, they began their quest for the perfect party gift. By the time they had hit the third gift shop, their accustomed ease with each other was back in form. Jostling and joking over some of the wackiest ideas for gifts brought the fun back in their day. Pretty soon they were visiting stores that they had no expectation of actually finding a gift in simply for the fun of it. The magic and tricks store brought out the mischief in both boys as they tried to outdo each other in working the magic tricks on display for potential customers. They had a ball dancing in the aisle of the music store as they listened to some of the newest dance tunes while making fun of each other's lack of coordination. Finally they hit the young moderns clothing shop that carried some of the hippest new styles. They decided to try on a few of the more interesting pieces.

It was when Gus had called out to Jason in the next changing booth that things turned serious suddenly. Gus had tried on a full length wool coat with a zippered closing rather than buttons and the zipper had gotten stuck part way down. No matter what he had tried he couldn't loosen the teeth of the zipper from the fabric caught hopelessly in its clutches. After several minutes of tugging and cursing, Gus decided that four hands would be better than two. He ignored his embarrassment and called for help.

"Jase, you still there?"

"Yeah. Man, you gotta see this jacket. If it wasn't so damned expensive I'd buy the thing now. Come check this out."

"I can't. I've got a little problem here. I need your help."

"So what's the prob?" Jason asked.

"I'll tell you, but only if you promise not to laugh at me," Gus answered.

Gus saw Jason's feet under the three quarter door.

"I promise not to laugh, so open the door."

Gus unlocked the door and let Jason enter the cramped stall. He pointed down to his shirt just above his waist where it was obvious that the material was snagged in the zipper of the coat he was wearing. His shirt was pulled at least halfway out of his pants. The look of frustration on the poor kids face struck Jason's funny bone and he couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.

"I....I....I'm sorry, Gee," he laughed. 'I can't help it. I thought you'd been taught to dress yourself by now," Jason joked.

"Ha Ha! Not funny, Jase. Just help me get out of this thing!"

Jason did his best to stifle his laughter and bent down to get eye level with the offending zipper. It took a number of swift up and down maneuverings of the zipper and shirt before the zipper finally flew upwards freely. As Jason rose up with the zipper he found himself face to face with Gus. The laughter that had been bubbling up died and Jason's face became serious.

The teens stared into each others eyes for what seemed an eternity when Jason finally broke eye contact by leaning into Gus and planting his lips firmly on the taller boys mouth. Gus didn't even hesitate. He welcomed the feel of Jason's lips on his own again and returned the pressure in kind. A minute later, Jason pulled back, looking Gus straight in the eye. Gus didn't try to hide his feelings. The desire for Jason was written all over his flushed face. It was more than enough for Jason. He wrapped his arms around Gus' waist and pulled the taller boy tighter against him while moving in for another kiss. This time the two boys put all they were worth into it. The pressure on their lips forced them to slowly part and, driven by the instinctual urge to unite, their tongues tentatively began to explore each other.

Within seconds the young lovers were consumed with need. The sound of a father and his rowdy young son entering the changing room was like a bucket of ice water being thrown on the teens. They sprang apart, backing up against opposite walls of the tiny stall. Both young men were visibly shaken with flushed faces and heavy breathing. They stood stock still like statues, not daring to move a muscle. Jason raised his fingers to his lips and mouthed a shhhhh sound. When the door to one of the stalls slammed shut several doors down from the boys, Jason stepped up to Gus again.

"We need to talk...for real, Gee," he whispered.

Gus smiled back weakly. "I know. And we have more to talk about than you know, Jase."

Jason gave Gus a quizzical look, but this was no place to discuss anything. The boys separated and quickly discarded what they had been trying on. Once they were done they met outside the stalls and made a bee line for the food court. They made a purchase of a giant pretzel and coke and grabbed a table that was just being cleared up. They gave each other a minute to gather their thoughts and take a bite of the salty treat, washed down with a swig of soda.

Jason was the first to speak. "So...am I right that you didn't hate what happened in Vermont? And if you say no, I'm outta here, Gee!"

Gus almost laughed at the seriousness of his friends tone. "No...I mean yes, you're right. The truth is that I was so afraid you'd regret it that I didn't know what I should say." Gus leaned in closer. "Jase, I can't stand the thought of losing your friendship...or any...well anything we might have. I don't know when it happened, but you've become more important to me than anybody."

"Me too, Gee! Goddamn it! I've felt that way about you for so long, but I was afraid you'd run away from me if I told you. I mean, I know your dads are cool about something like this but I wasn't sure how you felt. We never even came close to talking about feelings like this...and we talk about everything."

"I know, Jase. And speaking of my dads, I've got something you need to know."

Gus proceeded to inform a surprised Jason with news of DJ's discovery on that last morning and of the men's desire to have a frank discussion with the two boys together. Jason's groan brought a laugh out of Gus.

"Hey, it won't be so bad. You know that if anybody won't be judgmental, it's those two. I think they just want to make sure that we know what we're getting into. They love me and they like you a lot. They want to make sure we're safe and responsible. They thought we could sit down with them after lunch today. They even made sure that JR would be with your family for the whole day so we could keep things private. So whadda ya say?"

Jason gave it a few seconds and then responded. "I say we'd better get serious about finding my folks a gift and get on back to your place for probably the most interesting lunch of our lives."

Gus laughed out loud and they proceeded to do just that after gulping down their snack. Less than an hour later, the truck pulled up into the Kinney/Taylor driveway. The boys got out, Gus holding a small brightly wrapped gift in his hand, and entered the house with only a small amount of trepidation.

**********************************

Brian helped Justin clear the dining room table of the last remnants of the shrimp and lobster salad that Justin had prepared for lunch. As he helped Justin rinse off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, they talked about how they were going to approach their talk with their son and Jason. The boys had come home an hour earlier with gift in hand and a demeanour towards each other that clued the dads into the fact that something had gone right between the friends while at the mall. Before heading for Gus' room he told DB and DJ that Jason knew what they wanted to do after lunch and was agreeable to it.

Now the time had come. It was a toss up as to which side...the older or younger...was the most nervous. Once the four men were seated in the family room...the older men in lounge chairs across from the younger ones on the sofa...someone had to start the ball rolling. Justin decided to dive in first.

"Okay, Jason, Gus tells us that you are aware of what we wanted to talk to you two about."

"Yes, sir. And can I say right off that I understand? I just want you to know that me and Gee are not just messing around." Jason reached for Gus' hand. "We really care about each other."

Brian and Justin looked at each other in amazement. "We can see that," Brian said. "And we're glad you're feeling comfortable with each other. We just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourselves into...and that it's genuine, not just an intense friendship." Brian turned to Gus. "And Son, why didn't you tell me before that you felt you were gay. I mean, it's not like I'd condemn you like my old man or Justin's father did when we revealed ourselves to them. You had to know that we'd understand."

"I know, Dad. Look, I couldn't tell you cause I didn't really know myself. Honest! I've never been attracted to any other guy before. I've never been attracted to anyone else before."

"What about Heather?"

"We were just friends. I know folks thought it was more...and I think she wanted more too, but I just didn't feel that way about her. I mean, I really do love her, just not that way...you know?"

"I know, Son," Brian responded. "I felt the same thing for your Mother. If I had a hetero bone in my body I would have probably been in love with Linds, but instead I fell in love with Justin."

"Awww, thanks. Second choice, I see," Justin joked.

Brian wrapped his arm around Justin's shoulder and pulled him in for a kiss. "Never second to anyone, Sunshine," he laughed.

"Anyway, to get back on topic," Justin interrupted, "our main concern was that you be absolutely sure that what you want is to have a physical relationship with each other and if you BOTH want that, then you be one hundred percent safe.""Believe it or not," Brian added, "we were young once too, so we know what you're feeling. It's heady stuff and a guy can get careless and ruin his life. We don't want that for either of you."

Justin's turn. "There can also be some emotional pitfalls. Take it from me, those can be devastating to a relationship. You're not always going to be on the same wavelength. That becomes harder to deal with when you have an intimate relationship."

"There's also the question as to what your folks know, Jason," Brian added. "It's your business what you want them to know, but we need to know what they know. But I'm telling you, son, you should tell them what's going on with you. Being who you are openly with your family will make your life a lot more bearable in the long run."

"If you're asking me if I'm out to my folks...the answer is no. I've known for some time now that I was gay, but I've never acted on it and I didn't think it was really anything they needed to know until I did. I intend to tell them and I think they'll be okay with it. I just need to find the right time, you know?"

"We understand, Jason. We'll leave that decision in your hands. I just want you to understand that it might be kind of exciting for a while...having a secret relationship and all...but it does get tedious after a while and harder to deal with. Just giving you a heads up." Justin reached behind him to the side table where a pack of brochures magically appeared from under the oversized crystal ash tray.

"We got some reading material together for you guys to check out together. Nothing dramatic...just some info on how to be careful and sources for you to check online for gay teenagers. And if you have any questions at all, we want you to feel free to come to us. Trust me, there is nothing that you can feel or do that we haven't already experienced ourselves. We're here for you anytime. And if you need help with your folks, Jason, we'll be there for that too," Justin finished up.

Gus stood up, closely followed by Jason. "Thanks Dad," he said as he leaned over to kiss the top of Brian's head. "You too, DJ. You guys are the best."

The teens gathered up the material and headed back to Gus' room. As they watched the retreating backs of the two boys, Brian and Justin felt a sense of pride. They tuned to each other.

"Okay? I think that went well," Justin said.

"It went really well. Now comes the hard part."

Seeing Justin's raised eyebrows, Brian added, "watching them navigate the treacherous waters of couplehood," he laughed.

Justin 'Debbie' slapped Brian's arm. "You mean like we did?"

"Oh, I hope not, Sunshine. Let's hope their waters are a lot calmer than ours were."

"Oh, I don't think we did so bad," Justin smirked.

Brian pulled his husband into his embrace and planted a firm kiss on Justin's willing lips. They stood together in their comfortable home and wondered just how easy life was going to be for the two young men upstairs. All they could do was be there for them and help whenever possible, like any good parent would. Only time would tell what was in store for the new lovers.

To be continued..........


	15. A Bowl of Cherries, Before the Pits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus and Jason revel in their love affair, but keep it secret from everyone except Brian and Justin. Life couldn't be better for the couple, except for a nagging problem with Jason's old friend and classmate, Terry White.

Jason was pulled into Gus' bedroom as they raced upstairs. Gus whirled around and dropped with Jason onto his bed. The teens lay on their backs staring at the ceiling. A moment later they were doubled over with laughter. The release of the tension they had been holding in was stimulating. They fell back onto the bed and continued to laugh. They turned to face each other with tears of laughter forming in their eyes. Slowly, but surely, the laughter trickled to a few hiccups. Once they had calmed sufficiently, they remained stretched on the bed still facing each other.

"Well, I don't think that was as bad as it could have been," ventured Gus.

"No, it could have been a lot worse. To tell you the truth, I think it's a good thing your dads are gay, wouldn't you agree?"

Jason didn't wait for an answer. He reached up with his hand and touched Gus' still flushed face. He let his fingers play gently along the other boy's firm jaw-line. Ever so slowly he let his fingers move upwards to his friend's cheek and then along the sides of his eyes. He traced the thick, dark blond eyebrows, letting his fingers slowly move down the aquiline nose that was so clearly a clone of his father’s. With deliberate movements, he let his fingers rest on Gus' open lips.

Gus stopped breathing for a moment, looking deep into the dark eyes that stared intently at him. He reached up and took hold of Jason's hand. He didn't pull the hand away from him, but instead held the fingers to his lips and softly kissed each one individually. He heard a deep sigh escape the other boy and Jason's eyes drew shut, the long, black eyelashes resting on his tanned skin. Gus leaned forward, lowering the hand he held to the bed. He placed his own lips to Jason's and pressed gently against them. Jason couldn't hold back any longer. He fell back onto the bed, pulling Gus on top of him. The kiss that had begun so tentatively ignited into a fire that swept through their blood. The two young men began to explore the mouths that they had just begun to know in Virginia. The taste was oh so sweet...a combo of shellfish and soda and something indefinable. The explorations evoked electric shocks that ran through their bodies from head to toe. They felt that same need to touch that had overcome them once before and, without hesitation, they began to pull at each other’s clothes.

The boys stopped long enough to sit up and remove their pullover sweaters and shirts. The garments fell to the sides of the bed. They sat on the bed, on their knees, and admired the upper bodies that each displayed. Jason loved the way that Gus' light skin was drawn tight over well defined, but not overly big, muscles on his chest which tapered to a firm, taut belly and small waist. The light brown circles where his small nipples rested were inviting and Jason had to touch them, one at a time. He felt the small nubs spring to attention. Gus admired the thick muscles of Jason's arms that looked like they could protect anyone that he cared about. He was slightly barrel chested, but not overly so. His large, dark nipples were already prominent in their darker circles, even before the taller boy reached out to touch them in the same loving way that Jason had done for him. The muscles rippled under Gus' hands. He let his hands begin to travel slowly downward until he reached the belt buckle of Jason's jeans. No words were spoken as Gus undid the belt buckle and unsnapped the top of Jason's jeans. He then slid the zipper down with his breath beginning to come in short spurts. When the fly stood open, Jason performed the same service for Gus. The boys sat on their knees on the bed for a moment, just looking at each other. With an unspoken agreement, they sat down and removed their jeans and briefs, dropping them to the floor to join their shirts. They sat back up on their knees and let their eyes travel down to the hardened cocks that both boys displayed proudly.

"I want to taste you," Jason told Gus shyly.

Gus felt a moment of fear, but the light in Jason's eyes and gentle tone of his voice made him feel so safe.

"I want you to, if that's what you want," he answered.

Gus lay back down flat on his back. His beautiful young cock, which he was unaware was a worthy descendent of his Dad's proud possession, stood firmly at attention. Jason was wise enough to move slowly. He began by kissing Gus' mouth again until he heard the teen begin to moan softly in his throat. Then he slowly moved downward, placing gentle kisses on as much of Gus' body as he could on his journey to his ultimate destination.

Once Jason reached Gus' light brown pubes, he buried his nose in them and breathed deeply of the scent. He had the feeling it was a scent that would be a part of him for a long time to come and he wanted to brand it on his memory now. His hand reached out and wrapped itself around the thick pole that stood just above the soft, curly hairs. This might have been virgin territory for the young man but instinct moved him on. He poked out his tongue and began to lick the tip of Gus' shaft. The taste was like heady wine. It intoxicated the youth.

Gus jerked upwards. The pleasure that raced through him was like nothing he had ever experienced before in his life. He was already beginning to lose control of his senses. He had trouble controlling the volume of his whimpers and was exceedingly glad that his dads had their room at the opposite end of the long hallway. He felt Jason remove his hand and then the tingle of his tongue as it ran up and down the length of his cock.

"Oh God, oh God, Jase," he moaned.

Jason stopped for a second to look at his young lover. Gus' head was thrown back and his eyes tightly closed, but the look of ecstasy couldn't be missed. It made Jason feel like a King. He lowered his head to continue his task. He saw a small bead of liquid dancing on the tip of Gus' shaft and he had to try it. He flicked his tongue out again to gather the nectar on his tongue. The salty sweet taste went straight to his own groin. He couldn't delay any longer. With one swift movement, he opened his mouth as far as it would go and placed it over the head of Gus' manhood. He sucked down the shaft as far as his throat would allow.

Gus let out a small scream that he quickly squelched with his own hand thrown over his mouth. He bit into his hand as Jason began sucking up and down the shaft as if he'd done it a hundred times before. Within minutes Gus knew he was about to lose control. He felt his balls drawing up and he started tapping Jason on the head.

"Stop! Stop! I'm going to shoot!" he cried out.

It was as if Jason hadn't even heard him. He doubled his efforts, sucking every inch he could of the beautiful cock into his throat, tonguing it as he did. He was a natural. Gus fell back onto the bed. His whole body began to shake uncontrollably. He tried mightily to keep from losing it, but there was no way. With a loud shout, he exploded into Jason's mouth. Jason just continued sucking for all he was worth, accepting every precious drop. When he could feel the tension ease from Gus' body, he released the cock and slid upward to lay beside Gus' sweaty body. He watched his lover's chest heaving from the effort to get his breath back to normal.

Finally Gus could feel himself calming. He turned to look at the boy beside him. He saw Jason smiling at him.

"Did I do good?" Jason joked."Oh, my God. I had no idea. Are you sure you've never done this before?" Gus asked.

"I've never wanted to...until you. Now I think I'd like to do it again...if you're willing, that is," he grinned.

"Oh, yes. I think I'd be willing to give it a try again. Maybe we can do it even better?" he laughed. "Now, I want you to feel what I felt. It's your turn, Jase."

"If you insist,." Jason fell back on to his back and waited for his turn.

*************************************************

The night of the 'Big Talk' had only been the beginning. Gus and Jason grew closer with each passing day, week, and eventually months. They began spending more and more time alone and less in the company of their other friends. They had even taken to avoiding their pesky sisters whenever possible, much to the chagrin of the girls who loved being in the company of each other’s brothers. It had taken a talking to by both Brian and Justin, working in tandem again, to convince the girls that it was normal for seventeen year old boys to avoid their younger sisters no matter how close they had once been. The girls grumbled but soon found themselves so busy with other activities and dreaming of being Freshmen in High School the following year to put up a fuss for too long.The boys had been very careful with open displays of affection. They avoided physical contact anywhere but in the privacy of their rooms, for the most part. It had been hard as hell to do since becoming full fledged lovers. Both young men were passionate people and loved the feel of each other’s touch. They envied Gus' dads for their ability to be completely open about their love.

Strangely it was Gus who was the one who wanted to be open about his feelings for Jason. He had been the most reticent at first, but it became immediately apparent that Jason was the one who wanted to keep their real relationship private. That first day back at school, he had made sure that he kept his sister between him and Gus as they walked in. Gus wasn't shocked because Jason had asked him the night before to help him keep things to themselves until he could work things out with his family. Gus would have agreed to anything for Jason's sake. But he had believed that Jason would confront his parents pretty quickly. It didn't happen.

Gus liked Mr. and Mrs. Tyler a lot. And they seemed to like him too. They encouraged the friendship between the Marcus/Peterson kids and their own and they were well aware that there were two men heading the Kinney/Taylor household. They didn't seem to have any problem with that at all. Frankly, Gus was confused by Jason's reluctance to come out to his parents. But the blush of their awakening sexuality kept Gus content most of the time. Eventually Gus gave up asking Jason when he would get around to revealing the truth to his family.

Not all things ran smoothly, of course. There had been a few incidents that rattled the teens’ cages, but nothing overt. Although there had been no direct evidence of anything different between Jason and Gus, Jason's team-mates had begun to suspect something was up. They may not have been physical with each other, but the looks they gave each other so often told an interesting tale.

Terry White was the ringleader in giving his team-mate a hard time about being such good friends with the guy he considered to be an outsider. As the months went by, Terry's bullying became more and more aggressive. He had been penalized in April for using a hold on Jason during practice that was completely illegal. Jason ended up with a dislocated shoulder over that snafu. Terry's parents had taken his car away from him for a month when they were forced by the Tyler's to pay Jason's medical bills. This didn't help to endear his ex-pal to him. Things had become even more tense after that and both Gus and Jason now looked forward to the end of the school year with great anticipation.They spent endless hours laying in each other's beds talking about their plans for after graduation. They had both applied to Carnegie Mellon and were waiting to get the word on their applications. They had maintained straight A's by studying together almost nightly (among other things) , and had wonderfully high SAT scores, which made both sets of parents ridiculously proud. Before they knew it, they only had a month left of school and Jason was about to celebrate his eighteenth birthday. Overall, things were looking pretty good for the young boyfriends. But, as so often happens in life, fate was about to deal them another blow, and this time it would test their love, life, and future.

To be continued......


	16. A Day of Fun and Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian and Justin take the four teens for a day of fun in the sun at a local amusement park. Everyone has a great time, but when Gus and Jason sneak in a little kissing while playing Paintball, they are unaware that they've been spotted by the wrong person.

Jason untangled his shorter legs from between Gus' longer limbs and slid quietly off the bed. He needed to pee in a hurry as he rushed to the bathroom. Again he was grateful that Brian and Justin had bought a place that included private bathrooms in every bedroom. He really didn't relish the idea of running into his sister or JR when sprinting down the hallway to the bathroom. He finished his business quickly and slid silently back into his position next to Gus.

The teen had turned over and was now lying with his back to Jason. Jason scooted in close and draped his arm over Gus' stomach. He pressed his face against Gus' back and breathed deeply of the other boys scent. It was just one of the many things he loved about the slender youth. Jason began to rub his hand gently along Gus' arm, letting his hand slide to his naked chest next. Jason slowly massaged Gus' chest, enjoying the feel of his tiny nipples as they stiffened and rose to hardened peaks. Jason's hand then traveled a little lower till he reached Gus' naval. He poked his fingers in the tiny well and tickled. Gus began to whimper. He instinctively moved his body back against Jason in his sleep. Jason lowered his hand until he felt Gus' soft pubes. He gently twirled his fingers in the mass of hair and then felt Gus' already hardening prick as it rose up against his belly. Jason wrapped his fingers around the shaft and began to slowly run his hand up and down it. Gus' whimpers began to sound more like moans. Instinctively, Gus began thrusting his hips forward in a matching rhythm to Jason's movements along his cock. Gus began to awaken and realized what Jason was doing to him. A slow smile spread over his face and he reached his hand down to cover his lover’s hand.

The obvious pleasure that he was giving Gus made Jason's own cock rise up in joy and he began to grind his arousal into Gus' backside. The teens had become far more knowledgeable in the ways of lovemaking for gay men thanks to Gus' dads and their recommendations for reading material, but there were certain things they hadn't had the nerve to try quite yet. But right now, Jason longed to feel his pulsing member wrapped up in Gus' warmth. Gus sensed his need and lifted one leg so that Jason could position his cock between Gus's thighs. Once Jason was in place, Gus lowered his leg and captured the hardened shaft. He could feel Jason's erection between his thighs as Jason began pumping in and out. Soon both boys were desperately trying to catch their breaths as they began climbing towards their eventual release. A few more tugs on Gus' cock and thrusts by Jason and both boys exploded in pleasure. Several long seconds later, the last of their orgasms played themselves out and their bodies began to relax. Gus turned over in the bed and faced his young lover.

"Good morning, Jase."

"Morning to you too, Gee."

"Ummmm! I must say that I enjoyed your wake up call," Gus purred.

"Works every time," Jason laughed.

Gus leaned forward and planted a warm kiss on Jason's eager mouth. Jason responded with equal fervor. Their hands slowly wandered down between their legs. That's when it dawned on them that they were going to need to change the sheets...again.

Jason laughed out loud. "Brian and Justin are going to get a little tired of paying a huge cleaning bill one of these days."

"Are you kidding? You should see the laundry that comes out of their room," Justin grinned back at him.

Just then, the boys heard their sisters pounding on the door. Gus was inordinately grateful to his dads for having a lock installed on his bedroom door. JR had been royally pissed that she couldn't have one too, but the men had made it clear that Gus had earned the right with his trustworthiness combined with being nearly a grown man now. The promise that she could have one in her Senior year too diffused her anger only a tiny bit. Gus was perceptive enough to know where the lock idea came from and his respect for his dads grew even more. The fact that they trusted him so much, and his relationship with Jason, meant the world to the teen. Again he reflected on how lucky he was.

"What do you guys want?" the boys shouted simultaneously.

"Time to get up you lazy heads. We've got plans to make, remember?" came JR's voice through the locked door.

"Oh shit...I mean damn! I forgot. We'll be right down, as soon as we're dressed," Gus answered back.

Today was a big day. Gidget's birthday was only two weeks after her brother's whose birthday was next weekend, so Brian and Justin had promised to take all four kids out for something special. They were leaving it up to the kids to decide what they all wanted to do. They had until this afternoon to decide, when the Tyler kids had to get back home for the start of their next to the next to the last week of school. This month was going to be a whopper...with birthdays to celebrate, graduations to get through, Senior Proms to attend, and the last day of school all on the horizon.

The boys jumped out of bed, tore the sheets off, stuffed them into the already full hamper, and stepped into the shower. Normally they'd be giving each other a soapy rubdown by now, but the excitement over making plans for next weekend was too much and they hurried with their shower and dressed quickly. One last kiss before opening the door and they headed for the stairs leading to the kitchen.

Justin bustled about the kitchen trying to finish the omelettes and English muffins for his hungry brood and their guests...better known as family since they spent almost every weekend at the Kinney/Taylor house. He noticed Gus' slightly flushed face as he bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. It amused him that Gus still got a little flustered whenever he saw his dads right after being intimate with his boyfriend. Oh, he didn't need to guess what the boys had been up to...he had a vivid memory of his seventeenth year and waking up with Brian beside him. A grin spread on his face with the memories. The sound of JR and Gidget giggling over some boy in their history class brought Justin out of his reverie."Okay, you two, shoo! Go set the table," he instructed the gigglers. "Gus, Jason, why don't you two go see what Brian's doing? He should have been down by now."

The boys headed back up the stairs just as Brian was coming down.

"Hey Dad, DJ was getting worried about you. Breakfast is ready."

Brian looked at his handsome son and marvelled at how lucky he was. His kid turned out to be everything a father could wish for...smart, kind, caring, and a hell of a catch, just like his old man! Brian wondered to himself what Jack Kinney would have thought of his grandson. Not that his opinion would matter, of course, but Brian would like to think that the old man would be proud of what Brian had created...with a little help of course. He had a brief moment of sadness thinking of his loss of Lindsay and then joined his son at the bottom of the stairs. He smiled at the two boys as they made room for him to pass by pressing against the far wall, Gus leaning against Jason. He was thrilled to see how easy his boy was around him when being close to the guy he felt so much affection for.

Brian had had many long talks with Gus lately about the fact that Jason hadn't wanted to come out to his family yet. It bothered Brian but, as Justin had so reasonably pointed out to him, it was Jason's business. He just hoped that Jason's reluctance in that respect didn't equal a reluctance to be honest with the rest of the world and in claiming Gus as his boyfriend. He was secretly glad that the teens had decided to wait until after graduation before becoming more open simply because the memory of Justin's school experiences, especially Prom Night, still haunted Brian to this day. One thing he didn't want, however, was for his own son to be forced into staying in the closet just to please a boyfriend.

Brian went over to Justin and wrapped his arms around his waist, giving his husband a peck on the cheek.

"Hmmmm, smells good, Sunshine."

Justin turned in Brian's arms with his spatula waving in the air and gave his man a real kiss full on the lips. "Hmmmm, tastes good, but if you want to eat you'd better get out to the dining room. The girls are waiting to regale you with news of the newest crush."

Brian groaned, slapped Justin on his still firm fanny, and headed for the dining room. Five minutes later, everyone was gathered around the table and chowing down on their muffins and omelettes. While the OJ was being passed around, they made small talk. Once everyone had what they needed, they discussed what they should do for the following weekend to celebrate the Tyler kids' birthdays. The Tyler parents were throwing a big combination birthday and graduation party in four weeks, right after the prom, so they had no problem with the Kinney/Taylor’s doing something for their kids earlier.

They finally settled on a theme park where there was a large variety of activities to indulge in. Gus and Jason challenged the dads to a game of paintball, much to Brian's chagrin. It took a few taunts of 'chicken' and 'afraid to get your clothes dirty' to get the reluctant older man to agree to participate. Actually it was Justin's tongue in cheek comment about being an 'old geezer' that seemed to do the trick. Once every one was in agreement, they all headed their separate ways for Sunday afternoon...Brian to his study, Justin to his studio, JR and Gidget back to the bedroom and her phone, and the boys to the gym for some exercise and a quick swim...with a visit to the steam room thrown in at the end. Gus was definitely enjoying his gift membership to the club that he got for Valentines Day. So was Jason.

***************************************

The next Saturday was one of those rare May days when the sun shone at a perfect seventy eight degrees. The excitement was palpable when the Tyler kids piled into the Jeep and joined Gus and JR in the back. Everyone was really looking forward to a good time. Juices were flowing and everyone was higher than a kite with excitement. The school year was about to end in two weeks. Everyone in the Kinney/Taylor household had survived the new lifestyle they had been forced to live due to tragic circumstances (and even thrived somehow), and now the good news had just arrived that both Gus and Jason had been accepted to Carnegie Mellon in the Fall. Celebrations were most definitely in order, and everyone was more than happy to oblige.

The day was a whirlwind of activity. There were games of miniature golf, with Jason winning hands down, and go kart races that surprisingly ended up being the girl's forte with them coming in first all three times. Gus was at the top of the rock wall climb long before the others and looked down on them grinning from ear to ear. Brian proved to be the champ in hitting the baseballs most frequently as they came flying at him.

"Old geezer, my ass!" he proclaimed proudly to a laughing Justin.

The laser tag game proved to be Justin's triumph. He teamed up with the girls against the guys and won easily. It didn't hurt that husky Jason and tall Gus and Brian were much easier targets. By the time they got to the paintball game, the girls had decided they'd had enough sports exercise and chose to hit the arcade instead. The wanted to try out their skills on the ‘Dance, Dance Revolution’ game. The males headed for one of the two paintball fields. Twenty minutes later, their numbers were called and they suited up for the game. They had a two hour pass with one hundred paintballs each.

The first hour flew by with no clear leader. Halfway through the second hour, the energy level was beginning to flag and both sides were taking longer breaks between attacks. Jason and Gus found themselves behind a stack of sandbags at the far corner of the field facing the parking lot. The fence was high with special netting covering the entire field to protect outsiders from stray balls. However, there was enough sheerness to the cover to allow a clear view of activity inside the fence. It was unfortunate for the teens. They were completely unaware that a schoolmate of theirs had stopped on his way to his car to watch the action inside the field. Gus had taken the opportunity, as they crouched behind the sandbags, to offer a congratulatory kiss to Jason for scoring a point against his dad. Jason returned the kiss enthusiastically. Moments later they slid out from their hiding place to search for the older men. They never noticed Terry standing at the fence with his mouth agape and the look of open fury that warped his face.

The ride home from the park was a quiet affair. The girls were so exhausted they didn't even have the energy to get on the phone and bug their friends with their tales of triumph and fun. The boys sat close together enjoying the warmth of each others bodies, trying to look nonchalant for the benefit of the girls. Brian cussed all the way home about how sore he was probably going to be for the next month while Justin sat beside him trying hard not to grin.

That night, Jason again left the trundle bed that was always set up for him when he stayed the night and joined Gus in the larger bed. As the young lovers embraced and shared a passionate kiss, another young man lay in his empty bed and seethed with anger. His main problem was deciding who he hated more...Jason for betraying the team and his friends or Gus for ruining Jason. He'd have to think on the problem. Something had to be done.

To be continued......


	17. A Nightmare Revisited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School is coming to an end. Gus and Jason have decided to go to the Prom as a couple, but first Jason has to come out to his own parents. Prom Night arrives, and Terry White is about to repeat the history of a long ago Prom Night.

Brian and Justin were exhausted. Neither one of them could remember the end of a school year being so tiring. Every time they turned around, one or both of the teens needed to go here or there or do this or that. JR was floating on cloud nine because she was through with middle school. She would be a full fledged high-schooler after Summer and she was as proud as punch. She had already been to two middle school graduation parties thrown by friends and had at least two more lined up. But none of her excitement could match her brother’s.Gus couldn't believe how happy he was. Only seven months earlier, he had thought his world had collapsed. He still, to this day, missed his moms so very much and often went to the cemetery to visit them. Jason had even accompanied him quite a few times. Thinking of Jason brought a huge smile to Gus' face. Jason had a lot to do with Gus being able to deal with his new life. He loved his dad and DJ deeply, but it was Jason who listened whenever Gus needed to vent about the loss of his moms. It was Jason who held his head in his lap when the sensitive young man just needed to get it all out and let a few tears flow. It didn't happen often, and it was becoming less and less frequent, but Jason was always there for him so that he didn't have to burden his dads with it.

Now Gus was about to begin the next chapter of his life...this time as an adult. He would be attending the college of his choice and doing so with the boy he loved. Even though the school campus was close by, the boys had talked about getting housing on campus and sharing a room. They hadn't discussed it with their parents yet. Gus was really hoping that Jason would finally come out to his family before Summer started. He wanted to let everyone know that they were a couple so they'd never have to make excuses or hide anything during their college years. Jason promised that he wouldn't let the school year end without coming out to his family. Gus hoped so. He didn't want to hide his feelings for Jason any longer.

*********************************************

School had been too hectic the last couple of weeks for either Jason or Gus to notice anything different. They continued with their friendly bantering between classes and spending every lunch period together. They continued arriving and leaving school together every day. They did nothing they hadn't been doing since the new year. They didn't have a clue that one of their classmates saw them through different eyes now. Every time Terry White saw the two guys together, his blood boiled inside and he saw red. He had taken to avoiding even his closest pals because he had only one thought on his mind and he didn't want to be distracted. He knew he had to teach both those boys a lesson...Jason not to desert his team and buddies, Gus not to use his perverted ways to seduce a good guy and ruin his life. He knew that the element of surprise was going to be his best chance to mete out the justice they deserved. He used every ounce of will power in him to keep his anger in check. Now, with only a few days left until Prom Night, he made up his mind on what he had to do. He'd give those two a Prom they'd never forget, he swore to himself.

*********************************************

It had taken a lot of debating, but Gus and Jason finally decided to attend the Prom as a couple. Jason had agreed to tell his parents the whole truth the night before the dance. Gus offered to go with Jason when he faced his folks, but Jason said that it was time to stand up for himself on his own. It felt to Gus that he had paced his room enough to circle the globe while he waited for word on how things had gone at the Tyler house. He knew that an awful lot hinged on this. The dads had made it clear that it would be time to inform the sisters about the truth once the Tyler parents knew. That way, there would be no necessity to ever sneak around any more. It would solve a lot, easing stress and making life simpler. It would also mean that he and Jason could dance together freely at the Prom and not be scared of who would find out about it...and, of course, it would be all over the school on Monday morning. By the time the boys walked up to receive their graduation diplomas a few days later, there wouldn't be a kid, teacher, or parent at St. James that hadn't heard about the unusual event at the Prom. Gus had no doubt of that.

Gus knew that all the hubbub would die down, and probably pretty quickly. He was attending the same school as DJ and not a soul ever mentioned the tragic event that happened at that Prom eighteen years earlier. It was long forgotten. He and Jason attending the dance as a couple was nothing compared to that, so Gus wasn't that worried.

The phone finally rang several hours after Jason had said goodbye to go home and talk to his parents.

"Hey Jase! How does it go, man?" Gus asked anxiously.

"It's all good, Gee. Look, my folks want to know if you can come over now. They want to talk to us together."

When Gus was slow to respond, Jason added quickly, "It's okay...really. They just need to hash it out with both of us at the same time. Sort of like we did with your folks, you know? They're cool about things....honest."

Gus had never been more nervous in his life, but he knew Jason was right. Jase had been more than willing to deal with Gus' parents. He owed the same consideration to the Tylers.

"Okay, Jase. I'll see if the guys will let me use the Jeep and I'll be right over."

The boys said goodbye and Gus went to find his dad. He found Brian in DJ's studio. The older man was leaning over his husband's shoulder observing his latest work. As Gus stepped in the room he heard his dad tell DJ that this painting was even more beautiful than the last one. The younger man swiveled around in his stool and planted a warm kiss on his husband's lips. As he pulled away, he spotted their son in the doorway. He tapped Brian on the shoulder and pointed to the door.

Brian laughed. "Caught the old folks necking, huh? Now don't tell your sister. She thinks we're too decrepit for such nonsense. "

Justin slapped Brian on the arm.

"Ow!" came Brian's cry of pain, accompanied by a pitiful look.

"You big baby," admonished Justin. He turned back to Gus. "So what's up, kiddo?"

Gus smiled fondly at his two dads. He loved the way they treated each other. He prayed that Jason and he would be that way forever, which reminded him why he had come up here in the first place.

"Something big is about to pop," he began to explain. "Jase called and he told his parents about us. He wants me to go over there so the four of us can sit and talk about it. I told him I'd come right over. What do you guys think?"

"I think we're very proud of you...and of Jason," Justin said, getting up to hug the taller boy. Brian was right behind him.

"Justin's right, Son. Just remember that neither you nor Jason have done anything wrong. You are who you are and there is not a damned thing wrong about that. Hopefully they'll be like your grandmothers, Debbie and Jennifer."

"Well, I don't think we could handle it if they're anything like Gram, but Grandma Jennifer would be okay," Gus laughed.

A little more banter and friendly advice from the concerned dads, and Gus took the keys to the proffered Jeep and headed out for the Tyler house.

Gus had been shocked when Mr. and Mrs. Tyler informed the two boys, sitting on the couch in front of them, that they had been wondering, for months now, when their son was going to come out to them. They informed the boys that they had figured for years that Jason might be gay, but would be damned if they were going to be the first to approach the subject. He had never seemed very interested in any girl for any length of time. They weren't really sure if it was his total absorption in his sports or something else, but then Gus had come into his life. The Tyler's laughed when they explained that for the first time in his life, they saw their son become wrapped up in somebody. It was then they were even more sure that their suspicions were correct. Mrs. Tyler informed her son that their relationship became crystal clear the day she spotted them right after the New Year's party kissing each other in the garden. The boys didn't even realize that somewhere during the 'big talk', they had begun to hold hands. When the boys told the Tylers that they were going to the Prom as a couple, they saw the hesitancy in the parents’ eyes. They were quick to let them know that neither boy was going to flaunt anything in peoples faces. They were only going there to have fun, dance a little, and visit with classmates. The Tylers looked the two mature young men over and finally gave their blessing.

*****************************************************

The next day dawned with a brisk breeze stirring the pre-Summer warmth through the air. The Tylers had agreed to keep JR at their place for Prom night so that the boys could have uninterrupted preparation time the evening of the Prom at Gus' house. The Prom was to be held at one of the best hotels in the city and drinking was probable since eighteen was now the legal age for alcohol consumption. Brian and Justin had rented a room for the night so that the boys would have somewhere to stay in case they partied a little too hard. Brian and Justin would pick the teens up the next day at the hotel.

By seven that night, the young men were dressed and looking especially fine in their rented tuxes. Brian and Justin stood at the front entry of their house and waved goodbye to their son as he entered the limousine that the Tylers had hired for the boys for the night. Gus had given his dads a hasty hug and slid in beside his boyfriend. Justin allowed a little tear as the chariot drove the lovers off to the ball.

Gus and Jason had the time of their lives at the Prom. Every one was in a festive mood and they were surprised by how few people reacted negatively when they entered the main room hand in hand. That move was deliberate on their part. They had chosen to be out from the moment they joined the party. There had been a few less than enthusiastic reactions, with members of the wrestling team being the most obvious in their disapproval, but many more kids seemed curious but undisturbed. A few girls actually grinned broadly at the couple. They were having so much fun the boys never paid any attention to how stiffly Terry held himself in the corner of the dance floor or how many drinks he was consuming from the spiked punch bowl.Meanwhile, back home, Brian and Justin had spent the evening enjoying the rare quiet in the house. JR was at the Tyler’s and Gus was enjoying his Prom. Unlike their more youthful days, the older men found themselves talking about domestic matters, especially the children. After a few hours of this, Brian suddenly jumped up from his seat next to Justin.

"Damn, Justin, we sound like a couple of old fogeys sitting at home on a Saturday night with nothing to do but talk about the children. I say we go out and have a little fun ourselves, just the two of us for a change."

Justin laughed and joined his husband.

"I agree, old man. I think we deserve a little down-time for ourselves too. I say we get dressed up in our best 'fuck 'em all' outfits and head for the clubs. First one to the front door gets to choose our destination." Justin took off running for the stairs.

"Right behind you, Sunshine," yelled Brian as he used his longer legs to catch up to Justin.

Twenty minutes later, the men were moving out to the car. Brian chose Babylon (big surprise) for their night's festivities. There would be no fucking in the back room with anonymous twinks like the old days, but the couple still enjoyed the thumpa-thumpa of the music and dancing with each other still held a great thrill for them.

"I have an idea," Justin piped up, once they were on the road. "What about taking a moment to relive our glorious youth and just take a peek at Gus' prom? You know, just a quick look round and then out of there. I would really like to see our boy in all his glory."

"Are you sure it wouldn't be too painful?"

"Nope. In a way it would be just another 'fuck you' to poor pathetic Hobbs. Why the hell should I let him take away anything from me ever again? I WANT to see the boys enjoying their prom the way I did mine....thanks to you. So what do you say?""What the hell, why not? I would kind of like to see whether our boys have the balls to take a stand for themselves the way a certain little blond twink did years ago. Prom night, here we come." Brian turned the car into traffic heading for the hotel.

*********************************************

The evening was rapidly coming to a close. There was less than a half hour before the final dance would play. The crowd had thinned a bit as some students headed out for other parties or to prearranged rooms at the hotel to continue the celebrations. There was still a sizable crowd when Gus and Jason finished their last dance. Gus had an overwhelming need to relieve himself as he walked off the dance floor. He excused himself as they reached their table. It was what the drunken Terry had been waiting for all night.

Terry had finally managed to discover what room had been given to the two boys for the night. It hadn't been easy and required a healthy bribe to one of the bellboys, but it was worth it to him. All he needed was a chance to see Gus and Jason separated. It finally came when he saw Gus heading for the rear of the ballroom. Jason's stay at the table was all Terry needed. He looked around until he finally spotted a waiter standing nearby. He pulled out another large bill and got the guy's attention. He handed the money and a pre-prepared note to the young man and pointed over at Jason. The waiter hurriedly moved over to where Jason sat after receiving his instructions. By the time he reached Jason, Terry was gone.

Jason took the note the waiter handed him and started to laugh. He pulled out a couple of dollars and handed them to the young man. He looked around briefly and then moved rapidly for the elevator. A few minutes later he stepped off on his floor and went to the door of his room. Gus' note had asked him to go on up to the room and wait for a special surprise. Jason could feel his excitement building as he pondered on what kind of delicious surprise Gus might have in store for him on this special night. He half expected Gus to be waiting for him inside the room already as he fit his key card in the lock, but decided to get more comfortable while waiting for Gus when he found the room empty.

Downstairs, Gus had arrived at his table only to find it deserted. As he started to search for Jason, a waiter approached. He had a note in his hand. Gus frowned in puzzlement. Why was the note asking him to meet in the exercise room down the hall from the ball room? It was signed, Jason, but the writing didn't look quite like his boyfriend’s. Gus decided it must have been written in a big hurry. He made his way through the crowd in order to reach the main door of the ball room. In his rush, he didn't notice his dads scanning the crowd looking for the boys. Just as Gus got to the exit, the men spotted him and decided to follow.

Gus stepped into the barely lit fitness center. He could see the equipment in the dim light but little else. Again, he wondered why Jason wanted to meet here when they had a perfectly nice room waiting for them upstairs. He moved further into the room whispering, "Jase, where are you?"

He didn't see the dark figure stepping out from behind the opened door. Terry moved quietly behind Gus. His arm went up. The low light overhead reflected off the heavy bar bell that Terry clutched in his fingers. The sound of Brian's scream echoed off the walls.

"Gus! Look out!"

Brian moved like a man possessed. He dove full body onto the husky man who threatened his son. Terry fell, face forward onto the ground, his face buried in the floor. He screamed in pain as his nose flattened. Brian had his hands clamped in a death hold on Terry's wrist where he held his weapon. Brian could feel the satisfying crunch as the bones in the attackers wrist broke. In seconds, he ordered his stunned son to grab a nearby rope, used for tying up equipment, and throw it to him. With strength born of a combination of fear and rage, Brian had Terry's hands tied behind him, broken wrist and all.

Justin had grabbed his cell phone the instant he realized what was happening and called 911. He then ran into the hall and screamed for security. Within minutes the prom night revelers were surprised to find security and police shutting down their dance. They stared with open mouths at the sight of a bloody nosed Terry White being removed on a stretcher with several police officers surrounding the gurney. They were dying of curiosity as to why Gus was being questioned by the police and some even recognized his dad, who was also being questioned. By the next morning, there would be juicier news to talk about than had ever been discussed in two decades of after prom gabfests. But tonight there was nothing but questions. Number One for the Kinney /Taylors was, where was Jason and why did this happen?

To be continued........


	18. The Best Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justin lets Brian know how proud he is of him for coming to the rescue in time, while Gus and Jason exact their revenge in the way Brian would be most proud of.

Brian stood under the shower head, letting the hot, stinging spray of the shower massager pour out over his skin. He suddenly began to shake all over as if with ague. He felt his beloved husband's arms wrap themselves around his body, holding him close.

"Shhhh. It's alright, my love. He's safe now."

Brian turned around in Justin's arms, and for the first time that night, let himself fall apart.

"Oh God, Sunshine, we could have lost him!" Brian cried out.

"I know, I know. But we didn't, Bri...and because of you! You saved him. Don't you see? You were able to get to him in time this time. You're Gus' fucking hero! You stormed in like Rage and brought that animal down! Damn, Brian, I'm so fucking proud of you."

Justin wrapped his arms around Brian's middle again and pulled him close. His arms went up and massaged the tight muscles in Brian’s back. Slowly, ever so slowly, Brian's body began to calm again. He had lain his head on Justin's shoulder and let the tears fall, mixed with shower water. When he had regained his strength, he stood tall again and looked deep into Justin's beautiful blue eyes.

"I...I wasn't too late this time, was I?"

"No, you weren't, and your son will never forget a minute of his prom...including all the good times, thanks to you. And that son of a bitch clone of Hobbs will feel the might of our anger. Times have changed, Bri. It's not so easy to get away with gay bashing today as it was twenty years ago."

Brian stood looking down into his husband's eyes. The love and pride he saw in them threatened to overwhelm his senses again. How in the world did a stubborn fool like him luck out so much and find the one person in this vast world that was truly perfect for him, he asked himself for the millionth time. Brian grabbed Justin to him and swept down to connect with his mouth in a kiss that said everything that was in his heart. He felt the immediate hardening of Justin's beautiful cock as it rose between Brian's legs....his own rising to meet his lover’s. The kiss deepened, with tongues tasting the familiar heady flavor of each other’s love. The stimulation of their mouths sent lightning bolts to their lower extremities, weakening them and forcing Brian to move back to the little bench they had built in the shower stall.

Brian sat down on the marble bench, making sure to not lose his connection to Justin. Justin spread his legs and straddled Brian's hips, settling on his lap. Brian began to explore every piece he could reach of Justin's body as if he didn't already have a perfect memory of every single inch of the man. Justin stroked Brian with the same sense of awe, even after all these years. Repeatedly, the men stopped long enough to taste each other again. When the heat from their bodies rose higher than the steamy water surrounding them, Justin rose up and settled back down on Brian's naked shaft. The fit was perfect after all this time. In seconds, the timeless rhythm that made them one was established, and Justin rode Brian's cock to completion. Much too soon, both men released their joy into and against each other, collapsing against the wall.

Brian heard Justin say something against his chest. He pulled his lover's face up.

"What did you say, Sunshine?"

"I said, the best revenge is to have the best life and best sex ever. I'd say we just exacted a bit of revenge there...my beautiful stud."

Brian's face erupted into a huge smile for the first time in hours. He pulled Justin in for another hot kiss.

"I hope our boys are exacting a little revenge themselves," laughed Brian, once he'd released his husband's mouth.

******************************************************

It had taken almost a half hour before the cops had finally found out where Jason was. For some reason, no one thought to check out the room that Brian and Justin had rented for them, and Terry was definitely not talking. He had lawyered up from his hospital bed while they were still working on him. When they finally located the waiter who had given Jason the note, he told them that the kid got excited and raced off for the elevators. Gus quickly suggested the room they had and a few minutes later they were greeted by a ticked off young man who had been patiently waiting for his boyfriend to show up like he promised.Jason had been in a state of shock when he discovered how close Gus had come to losing his life. It had taken a thorough check of Gus' arms, legs and head to reassure himself that Gus was perfectly all right. Once the cops had finished their questioning and left the four men alone in the room, Jason made a quick call to his parents to let them know what had happened and that everyone (except the attacker), was in perfect shape. Mrs. Tyler had asked if Jason wanted them to come pick him up, but Jason made it clear that the son of a bitch, Terry, wasn't going to take any more of his special night away from him. After a little more convincing, she surrendered to her son's decision.

Brian and Justin had remained with the boys for a little longer. The teens were amazed at how calm Gus' dad was being. Gus suspected his dad was still in denial or in shock, because Gus knew how devastated his dad had been when DJ had been attacked at his prom. He was sure that Terry had brought out some long buried nightmares for his dad, but the man seemed perfectly calm and Gus was glad of it. Besides he was sure that DJ would be there for his dad no matter what, and his dad would do the same for DJ in case this event triggered something later on.

Right now, he was happy when the dads decided it was time to go home and leave the boys alone. He wanted more than anything to have this night with just he and Jason together. They had talked about this night at length. The young lovers had tried a lot of sexual positions and lovemaking techniques since becoming a couple, many of which were found in a book the dads had given Gus, but they had never actually fucked yet. They were super nervous about that ultimate step, but they were determined to become one on this special night. Gus had snuck a porn tape out of his dads library, choosing the one he had overheard the two men mention on a number of occasions. He and Jason had decided that the visuals might help in their explorations of the ultimate connection.

A half hour after the dads had vacated the room, Gus and Jason were laying naked on their stomachs on the bed engrossed in the antics of the porn stars on the television screen. An occasional ooh and aah could be heard over the moans of the actors. A few 'oh my God's' popped up too. By the time the credits rolled on the screen, the teens were laying on painful hard ons. They rolled to their sides and faced each other, heads supported by their hands.

"So what do you think?" asked a hesitant Gus.

"I think we should give it a try. I'm game if you are," laughed the bolder Jason.

"So who's the top and who's the bottom?" asked the ever practical Gus.

Jason had to stop and think about that for a minute.

"I don't know. Hmm, is there any rule about one has to top and the other has to bottom? I mean, can't a guy do both?"

"I don't know. I don't think there are any rules about it. I know DJ is definitely the bottom in our family. My dad always likes to be the one in charge."

"Ewww, TMI Gus."

"Well geez, Jase, you didn't think they were celibate did you?"

"I choose not to think about it, anymore than I think about my folks doing it. I mean, gross, man!"

Gus laughed out loud. "I never would have taken you for a prude, Jase."

"I'm not a prude," he said, swatting at his young lover. "I just think some things are better left unsaid, you know?"

"Okay, no more talk of parents doing it. Now let's get back to us. So who's doing what and to whom?"

"I have an idea," Jason popped up. "I say we both top and bottom. After all, we do have all night," he added with a wink.

"So who goes first?"

Gus stuck out his hand. "Rock, paper, scissor for who goes first."

"You're on."

The boys sat their naked bodies up and stuck out their hands. A couple of hand gestures followed, and Jason sat with a beaming face and the symbol for scissors in front of him. Gus held out the symbol for paper.

"You win," said Gus.

Jason leaned forward and planted his lips on his boyfriend. "Oh, I think we'll both be winners tonight, sweet Gee."

With that, Jason slid off the bed and walked over to the knapsack that he'd brought with him. He fished around his change of clothes and toiletries until he felt the tube of lube and box of condoms that he'd packed earlier. With precious items in hand, he walked back to the bed. He grinned at the lanky young man waiting for him. Jason settled his muscular frame onto the bed and sat on his knees in front of Gus. The mood suddenly turned serious. Gus smiled at his boyfriend.

"Are you ready?" Jason asked.

"As much as I ever will be," Gus answered, the nervousness clearly evident.

Jason gathered Gus in his arms and began kissing him. The soft kisses began to deepen as Jason slowly parted Gus' lips and gently pushed his way through the teeth until their tongues met. A slow fire began to build from the embers of their affection. Their hard-ons, that had begun to soften while they bantered together, began to become rigid again. Their hands began exploring each other.

Gus loved the feel of Jason's hardened chest with its wrestler's build. The muscles danced under his probing fingers. Gus leaned down and began to kiss and suck on Jason's dark nipples, taking them into his mouth one at a time. Jason began to moan out 'yes, yes' softly. Jason pulled Gus' head back up and kissed his lover harder on his mouth, then dove down to taste of Gus' small brown buds. Soon, the two lovers were pressing their aching cocks hard against each other and rubbing their bellies together.

"I want to get you ready, Gee," Jason moaned.

"Yes," came Gus' husky reply.

Gus laid down and let Jason turn him on his stomach. Jason pulled a pillow down and placed it under Gus' middle so that his buttocks rose from the mattress. Jason remembered how the two of them had practiced sodomy by using their lubed fingers to probe. The sensations had been delicious even then, although very strange feeling. They had only used one finger each. Tonight would be different. Jason recalled how the men in the video had licked around and in the hole in order to prepare each other and decided to give it a try. He bent down and started to lick from the top of Gus' crack on down until he reached the puckered hole.

Gus suddenly gasped audibly and bucked forward. He didn't have to say anything. It was obvious that it brought pleasure. It emboldened Jason. He began to lick and nibble more fervently. His cock hardened even more. It cried out for attention. Jason couldn't wait much longer. He quickly lubed his fingers and began probing. Gus let out a loud groan and bucked back on the fingers, first one...then two...then three. His sphincter muscle began to relax and it became easier to push the fingers deeper.

"God, Jase. I don't want to wait any longer. I want you inside me. Please!" Gus was almost breathless.

It was all Jason needed to hear. He pulled his fingers out of Gus' warmth and tore open a condom. In seconds, he had it rolled down his shaft and lubed thoroughly. He steadied his knees against the back of Gus and placed the head of his cock against the quivering hole. He slowly pushed forward a half inch. Gus gasped and jerked forward.

"Are you sure you want this, Gee?"

"Oh God, yes. Just slow, okay?"

Jason pushed a tiny bit further. He felt Gus breathing deeply and slowly, ever so slowly, he felt the teen's hole relaxing around him. He began to push forward more and then suddenly there was no longer a firm resistance. He paused, relishing the heat and erotic feel of his boyfriend pulsing around his shaft.

Once Jason felt it was safe, he began to pump slowly in and out of Gus. The movement was beginning to drive Jason wild. He didn't even realize when he started to speed up. The feeling was so damned incredible. He could hear Gus crying out under him and see the teen's hand pumping on his own organ.

Through a haze, Jason could hear Gus shouting. "I'm cumming, oh God, Jase, I'm cumming!!"At the same time, he felt Gus' body convulsing and clamping down harder on his over-stimulated prick. He couldn't control his own orgasm any longer and with a shout, Jason filled the condom head with his own juices. He fell forward onto Gus’ back, burying him into the mattress. Once the boys were able to breathe normally again, they lay side by side and stared into each others faces.

"Are you alright, Gee?"

"It's kind of a weird feeling. I'm a little sore, but my God, Jase, that was the most intense thing I've felt in my life! You were incredible!" he praised his lover. "You have to feel this too. I can't believe that straight guys have to miss out on this," Gus laughed.

"Their loss," laughed Jason.

The boys got up to shower and clean up the mess. Luckily, wise Daddys Brian and Justin had ordered spare sheets for the room in advance and they quickly had a new set on the bed. Afterwards, they decided to recharge their batteries and fell asleep in each other’s arms. Two hours later, Gus provided the same pleasures for Jason that had been given to him. As he exploded in Jason's tight hole, he thanked the powers that be for letting him be born just like his father. Thanks to that twist of fate he had a man like Jason to love and this indescribable joy. As the boys drifted to sleep in each others arms again, the thought of a pathetic creature laying in his hospital bed awaiting surgery to repair his nose and wrist never even crossed their minds for a second. Their thoughts were of the years ahead and all the love they would be able to offer each other in that time.

To be continued.........


	19. Here's to the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final hurdle is cleared when Bridget and JR are informed of their brother's relationship. Brian and Justin reflect back on the last year as parents, and look forward to more years as JR continues to grow up and Gus makes plans for college.

Gus was not the type of young man who was normally jealous of anyone, but right now he was definitely envious of Jason. The first thing his dad and DJ mentioned when they picked the boys up at the hotel the morning after the prom was that it was time to let everyone in the family know who they were and that they were a couple. For Jason, that was simply his little sister and an uncle on his dad's side, who happened to be gay himself. The telling was going to be a lot more involved for Gus.

It wasn't that he thought that any of them would be disturbed by his news, far from it, it was more the hoopla that they'd make over it. Grandma Deb's health had improved noticeably with the return of her grandkids and she could be a handful when she got excited. Gus had a feeling that she'd love the news he had to tell her. His various honorary uncles would no doubt love it too. They had all met Jason previously and approved of him as a friend unconditionally. His biggest worry was JR. He knew quite well that she had a crush on Jason. He and Jason had joked about it often enough. He wasn't so sure she'd appreciate knowing that her brother had been secretly involved with the object of her affection all this time. Brian and Justin were thinking the same thing. Raising the two kids had turned out to be a lot less trouble than they had anticipated when they first took over custody of the teens at the untimely and tragic death of their moms. Justin had been confident they could handle the task but Brian was scared shitless. He was half convinced that the kids would be mentally warped for life with him as their parent. But together, with Justin, the men had worked out every little problem that came up. It was obvious to one and all that both teens were happy and well adjusted. But this part of a sibling rivalry was something that neither man had ever had to face, even though they had both grown up with a single sister and no brothers, just like Gus. Well, today they'd get their answers on how JR would react.

*****************************************

Brian and Justin picked JR up at the Tyler house and it was obvious that Mr. and Mrs. Tyler had told the girls nothing about the events of the night before. JR was all bubbly about her brother's upcoming graduation and all the fun things that the four of them would get to do during the Summer break. She never noticed the unusual quietness coming from the front of the Jeep. As soon as the threesome entered the house, Gus heard his dad call to him. He took another look in the mirror and reminded himself that JR loved him, no matter what. He then went downstairs to join everyone in the large family room. He could see DJ and his dad sitting across from JR who had a quizzical look on her face. The men had not told her anything except that they had something very important for her to hear and it had to be done right away. She, of course, wanted to get to her room and the phone so she could dish with her buddies about the weekend. But now she was sitting here in a family conference and it looked serious. She racked her brain, trying to decide if she had done something she shouldn't have lately, and couldn't think of a thing.

"Well?" she said, trying to break the silence in the room.

Brian stepped in. "JR, your brother has something he needs to tell you. He's known something for a little while now, but he had to wait ‘til he felt comfortable telling you. Now I expect you to listen without interruption and give him a chance to get it all out. Deal?"

"Sure," she answered. "But what could be so scary that he had to wait to tell me for a while? Gus?" She had turned to her big brother, sitting beside her.

Gus cleared his throat and plunged in. "Okay, kiddo, here's the truth. You know how Mom always said I was just like my dad?" He paused while she nodded her head. "Well, I finally figured out that I'm more like Dad than even Mom knew....more than anyone knew, really."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, little sister, that I'm gay like Dad."

Gus stopped to give JR a chance to digest the news. She sat staring at the big brother she'd known all her life and said nothing at first. All three men were shocked. They had never seen her speechless before. All of a sudden, a big grin spread over the young girl's face. She jumped up and grabbed Gus around the shoulders and hugged him tightly.

"Whoo hoo!" she shouted in his ear, nearly deafening the boy.

Gus pulled away and held his sister at bay.

"Whoa, kid! What's gotten into you?"

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I told Gidge that you were gay. I told her that you and Jason were a couple and she said I was crazy. Hah! I've been around enough gays and lesbians in my life to know one when I see one." She grinned triumphantly at all the men around her.

It would be an understatement to say that there were three surprised faces looking back at her. It was their turn to be speechless. Justin was the first to regain his senses.

"Wait a minute, young lady. Are you telling us that you've known about your brother and Jason all this time?"

"Well, I don't know what all this time is supposed to mean, but I've had an idea for a while now. Geez, those guys were always hanging on each other around here and they never wanted to have Gidge and me around anymore. They didn't used to mind. And well, I don't know, they kind of looked at each other the way you and DB do all the time. I mean, a girl would have to be blind...or stupid, which I'm not...to not notice. The best part is I won the bet!"

Brian piped up with, "What bet?"

"I bet Gidge that her brother and mine would be sharing a room at college just ‘cause they're a couple. Bet you guys were planning to, weren't you?"

Gus grinned sheepishly at the group. It was obvious that those plans were definitely in the works.

"Well I hope you bet something good," Brian said.

A thought crossed Gus' mind. He had to ask.

"JR, I thought you'd be a little pissed at me. I know you had a crush on Jason. "

JR laughed out loud. "Geez, Gus, There are plenty of cute guys out there. I intend to play the field. Heck, maybe I'll even try out Gidget." She paused, waiting for a reaction.

For the second time that night the three men sat staring open mouthed. The sight caused the young teen to start giggling uncontrollably. A couple of minutes later, she calmed enough to speak.

"Man, you should see your faces. I'm just kidding. There has to be at least one more straight person in our family. Gram can't hold the banner for heteros all by herself." JR tried unsuccessfully to control laughing out loud.

Brian leaned over and whispered in Justin's ear, "do you think we could see if Michael is up to taking on a teenage girl now?"

Justin swatted his husband and shushed him. "So you have no problem with Gus being gay or with him being with Jason?" he asked the still giggling girl.

"Considering my family, don't you think that would be a little redundant...that is the correct word, right?" she asked truthfully.

"Close enough," answered Brian and Justin simultaneously.

Gus was finally able to absorb everything his little sister had revealed. In truth, he was tremendously relieved. He loved JR dearly, even if she was a royal pain in the ass sometimes. He hadn't wanted to hurt her for anything. Then it dawned on him that Jason was probably going through something very similar with his little sister. He couldn't help thinking of how proud his moms would have been of both of their kids and of Brian and Justin for helping to steer them through all the changes in their lives in the last year. He made a mental note to tell the guys just that. JR suddenly jumped up and ran to Brian and Justin. She planted a big smooch on both men and turned to her brother.

"I've got to tell Gidget. Later, fellas."

"Whoa there, youngen," Brian snapped, grabbing her quickly by the arm to prevent her from running off. "You need to wait until Gus hears from Jason to make sure that Gidget has been talked to. We owe them that. You can call your friend as soon as Gus gives the okay.""Ahhh, Geez," she frowned. Just as quickly, a big smile was back in place. "Okay, but swear you'll tell me as soon as he calls. Right, big bro?"

"You've got it, twerp...and Sis, I love you."

"Geez, don't get all sappy with me. Save that for the boyfriend. I'll be in my room. Just give a heads up when Jason calls." And with that, she breezed out of the room.

The three men sat staring at each other for several minutes.

"Well, I think that went well. I wonder what those two bet for over the sharing a dorm thing," pondered Justin out loud."I don't think I want to know," said Brian cautiously. "And speaking of the dorm thing, was that your plan, son, cause I thought you'd stay here with us?"

"We'd talked about it but nothing is set in stone yet. All this has happened so fast. We really don't know what will come next. Just as long as we're together."

Brian looked over at Justin. His mind wandered to another teenager on the verge of manhood who only wanted to be with one certain person. God, he hoped his son would end up as happy and fulfilled in life as he was. But in the meantime, he would make certain that Gus knew that their home was his home always and at any time. Gus gave his two dads a big hug before leaving the room and going to his own room to wait for his call from Jason.

Justin scooted over closer to Brian. He laid his head on the tall man's shoulder and rested his hand in his lap. Brian reached down and joined his hand with Justin's. They sat there, each lost in their thoughts, for long minutes.

"Do you think that life will go easier for our boy than it did for us, Sunshine?" Brian finally asked quietly.

"I think so, but it doesn't matter, Bri. Because he'll have us no matter what...and so many more who love him so very much. He doesn't have to create a family like you did, my darling lover, because he's had one from the day he was conceived and born."

"Do you think the girls would have approved of how we handled things?"

"In a heartbeat. When I look at our kids, I see the best of Mel and Linds, and Michael and Debbie, and you and me. I see a family that we can all be proud of. And someday, when we have grandkids...."

"Bite your tongue!"

".....and when we have grandkids, and I pray we do, then they'll know how lucky they are to be in a family like ours too."

Brian took a deep breath and released all the tension and worry that he'd been holding in when facing this new challenge. Justin was right. He and Justin could do anything because they had each other, including raising their little family. He knew the future was uncertain. They had to get through four more years of schooling and drama upon trauma with a teenage girl still. They had a son who had college and his whole life in front of him, and who knew whether the man he loved would still be there at the end of the four years? Nothing was guaranteed in this life. The only thing he knew for certain was that his kids would do fine in the end. Just like he did with the man he loved and married. He raised their joined hands and kissed Justin's fingers.

"Here's to the future," he told his husband.

The End


End file.
